med.

It was a wonderful country, such as they had not dreamed could exist so
near Europe, while everywhere, as the investigations went on, they were
impressed with the feeling that, unsafe as it was now, in the past it
must have been far worse, for on all hands there were the remains of
strongholds, perched upon the top of precipitous heights with the most
giddy and perilous of approaches, where, once shut in, a handful of
sturdy Greeks or stout Romans could have set an army at defiance. This
was the more easy from the fact that ammunition was plentiful in the
shape of rocks and stones, which the defenders could have sent crashing
down upon their foes.

It was one evening when the difficulties of the day's journey had been
unusually great that they were on their way toward a village beyond
which, high up in the mountains, Yussuf spoke of a ruined city that he
had only visited once, some twenty years before. He had reserved it as
one of the choicest bits for his employers, and whenever Lawrence had
been enraptured over some fine view or unusually grand remains Yussuf
had smiled and said, "Wait."

Their progress that day had been interrupted by a storm, which forced
them to take shelter for a couple of hours, during which the hail had
fallen in great lumps as big as walnuts, and when this was over it lay
on the ridges in white beds and crunched beneath the feet of their
horses.

Their way lay along one of the defiles where the road had been made to
follow the edge of the stream, keeping to its windings; but as they
descended a slope, and came near the little river, Yussuf drew rein.

"It is impossible, excellencies," he said; "the path is covered by the
torrent, and the water is rising fast."

"But is there no other way--a mile or two round?" said the professor.

Yussuf shook his head as he pointed to the mountains that rose on every
side.

"It is only here and there that there is a pass," he said. "There is no
other way for three days' journey. We must go back to the place where
we sheltered and wait till the river flows back to its bed."

"How long?" asked Mr Burne; "an hour or two?"

"Perhaps longer, effendi," said Yussuf. "Mind how you turn round; there
is very little room."

They had become so accustomed to ride along shelves worn and cut in the
mountain sides that they had paid little heed to this one as they
descended, their attention having been taken by the hail that whitened
the ledges; but n