t do you say, Lawrence?" said the professor.

"He is going to stop down with me," said Mr Burne shortly.

"No, sir; I am going up," replied Lawrence. "I may never be able to see
such wonders as these again."

"But, my dear boy, if you climb up here, I must go too," cried Mr
Burne.

"Come along, then, sir," cried Lawrence laughing; "the place looks so
interesting I would not miss going up for the world."

"Humph! I know I shall be broken before I've done," muttered Mr Burne,
taking out his handkerchief for a good blow; but glancing back in the
direction where they had left the horses, he altered his mind, as if he
dreaded the consequences, and replacing the silken square, he uttered a
low sigh, and prepared to climb.

CHAPTER TWENTY.

THE ANCIENT DWELLINGS.

"Look here; stop a minute," said Mr Burne; "if we've got to climb up
that break-neck place, hadn't we better leave these guns and things at
the bottom, so as to have our hands clear?"

"No--no--no," exclaimed Yussuf impatiently; "a man in this country
should never leave his weapons out of his reach."

"Bah! what nonsense, sir! Anyone would think we were at sea again, or
in a country where there are no laws."

"There are plenty of laws, Burne," said the professor, "but we are
getting out of their reach."

"Highwaymen and footpads about, I suppose?" said the old lawyer
mockingly. "My dear sir, don't put such romantic notions into the boy's
head. This is not Hounslow Heath. I suppose you will want to make me
believe next that there are bands of robbers close at hand, with a
captain whose belt is stuck full of pistols--eh, Yussuf?"

"Oh, yes, sir," said their guide quietly. "I should not be surprised.
There are plenty of brigands in the mountains."

"Rubbish, sir; stuff, sir; nonsense, sir!"

"It is true, sir," replied Yussuf sturdily.

"Then what do you mean, sir, if it is true, by bringing us into such a
place as this?"

Yussuf stared at him wonderingly; and Lawrence burst into a hearty fit
of laughter.

"Come, come, Burne," cried the professor; "if anyone is to blame, it is
I. Of course, this country is in a very lawless state, but all we have
to do is to preserve a bold front. Come along; we are wasting time."

Yussuf smiled and nodded, and led the way up over the crumbling stones,
climbing and pointing out the easiest paths, till they were at the first
ledge, and were able to inspect the first group of cliff-dwellings,
which pro