clearly marked on one side, the country more beautiful and park-like,
diversified by hill and dale, on the other, and away in front the mighty
peak looking as distant as ever, but with its features more plainly
defined.

Twice over they came to a halt, the first time being at the edge of a
narrow lake which resembled a piece cut off from a tolerably wide river,
whose ends had been filled up by the growth of reeds.

Noon was long past, but the air was so fresh and invigorating and their
level track so easy to follow, that the doctor decided upon pushing on
again for another couple of hours, before making a final halt for
refreshment, and then turning back.

This final stoppage was beneath a clump of fairly grown trees whose
boughs formed a goodly shade from the westering sun, and all revelled in
the beauty of the view forward as they partook of their scanty meal.

"Glorious!" said the doctor at last. "We can't do better than make our
way up here to-morrow. The journey for the mules will be easy enough if
we bear more to the left, and they ought to get up here by night."

The others agreed, Griggs being full of approbation.

"And two days will easily take us right up the slope of that mountain.
Shouldn't wonder, if we started early enough, if we did it in one. But
hadn't we better be going back now, sir?"

"Yes, at once," said the doctor. "Can you pick up our trail now and
then, only leaving it when we can cut off some of the way?"

"I shouldn't wonder if I could, sir," was the reply. "I'll try."

"That's right; but we must spread-out a little, and be on the lookout
for a shot or two, so as to have something to cook when we reach camp."

"Partridges, father," said Chris, unslinging his gun.

"Yes," said the doctor, smiling; "we ought to get one or two of those
monsters if we get a chance."

But, as Wilton had suggested, now that they wanted something in the way
of game, nothing was to be seen, and they were fully half-way back and
the evening coming on fast, but with the moon well up ready to give its
light as the sun went down, before there was a fair chance. They had
seen partridges again, and sent a flock of ducks skimming over the
reeds, but in both cases they had risen far out of shot.

"We must get more into the longer grass," said Griggs at last. "We
shall get something then, and as soon as we've got enough we can bear
off again into the short, and canter."

It proved to be good advice, for