ction. But come, what is to be
done?"

Yussuf answered the question by calling Hamed to come and help unpack
the horses, and all then set to work to prepare to pass the night in the
midst of the ruins, and without much prospect of a fire being made.

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.

ALI BABA'S FEAT.

The night came on colder and colder, and though Yussuf and Hamed worked
hard at cutting bushes and branches of trees, the green wood covered
with leaves obstinately refused to burn, and the result was a thick
smoke, which hung about and spread amongst the dust, making the position
of the travellers worse than before. Yussuf searched as far as he
could, but he could find no pines, neither were there any bushes of the
laurel family, or the result would have been different.

All this while they were suffering from a nervous trepidation that made
even a heavy footfall startling, every one being in expectation of a
renewal of the earthquake shocks.

Rugs and overcoats were taken from the baggage and, giving up the fire
as a bad job, the little party were huddled together for the sake of
warmth, when all at once a breeze sprang up, and in less than half an
hour the mist of dust had been swept away, and the dark sky was overhead
studded with countless stars.

It was even colder than before, the wind that came down from the
mountains being extremely searching, and it seemed a wonder that there
could be so much difference between day and night. But in spite of the
cold the little party felt cheered and relieved by the disappearance of
the thick mist of dust. The bright sky above them seemed to be a sign
of the danger, having passed away, and suggestive of the morning
breaking bright and clear to give them hope and the power of seeing any
dangers that were near.

But they were not to wait till morning, for soon after the clearing away
of the mist, shouts were heard in the distance, to which they responded,
and the communication was kept up till a party of men appeared, who
proved to be no belated set of wanderers like themselves, but about
twenty of the village people under the command of the head-man, come in
search of them, and all ready to utter a wild cheer when they were
found.

The leader explained to Yussuf that the earthquake shocks had all been
on this side of the little river, the village having completely escaped.
About a couple of hours after the shocks the party of people who had
been digging for treasure returne