“Do, Yussuf,” cried the professor eagerly.
Yussuf bowed.
“I will, excellency, but it is not often seen—only now and then.”
They began to descend the side of the defile, and before long came upon a fine grove of ancient planes, upon some of whose leafless limbs tall long-necked storks were standing, placidly gazing down at them unmoved; and it was not until the party were close by that they spread their wings, gave a kind of bound, and floated off, the protection accorded to them making them fearless in the extreme.
“Stop!” cried the professor suddenly, and the little party came to a stand by a rough craggy portion of the way where many stones lay bare.
“Well, what is it?” cried Mr Burne impatiently, “I’m sure those are natural or live stones, as you call them.”
“Yes,” said the professor; “it was not the stones which attracted me, but the spring.”
“Well, we have passed hundreds of better springs than that, and besides it is bad water; see, my horse will not touch it.”
“I thought I was right,” cried the professor dismounting. “Look here, Lawrence, that decides it; here is our first hot spring.”
“Hot?” cried Lawrence, leaping off and bending over the spring. “Why, so it is.”