"'Ligious! Why, what have you got hold of now?"

"Nothing. You heard him too. He said as the cat prayed on them feathers."

"Get out. Don't be a hignoramus. Wild cats is beasts o' prey."

"He said beasts as pray, and I don't believe it."

"And I don't believe your head's properly stuffed, mate. Yes, sir," he continued, as Oliver spoke. "You call?"

"I said if you want to wash your snakey hands, here's a good chance."

The sailor stepped down into a hollow, above which a little cloud of vapour hung over a basin of beautifully blue water, enclosed by a fine drab-coloured stone. It was not above a foot deep, save in the centre, where there was a little well-like hole, and a dozen feet across, while at one side it brimmed over and rippled down and away in a tiny stream, overhung by beautifully green ferns and water-plants, which were of the most luxuriant growth.

"Looks good enough for a bath, gentlemen, when you've done," said Smith.

"Try your hands first," said Oliver. "But wait a moment," and he took a little case from his pocket, and from it a gla.s.s tube with a mercury bulb.

"Look at that!" whispered Billy Wriggs. "Tools for everything, mate.

What's he going to do--taste it first?"

"I dunno," said Smith, watching Oliver Lane attentively, as the young man plunged the mercury bulb in the water, and held it there for a few moments, and then drew it out.

"Go on, my lads," he said. "Like some soap?"

As he spoke he took a small metal box out of his pocket, and opened it to display a neatly fitting cake of soap.

"Look at him," whispered Smith to his companion--"ay, tools for everything. Thank-ye, sir," he added as he took the soap, stepped down close to the edge of the basin, and plunged in his hands, to withdraw them with a shout of excitement.

"What's the matter?" said Drew, laughing.

"It's hot, sir. Water's hot!"

"Well, my lad, it is a hot spring. There's nothing surprising in that.

We're in a volcanic land."

"Are we, sir?" said the man, staring at him. "And is this volcanic water?"

"Of course."

"But where does it get hot, sir?"

"Down below."

"What! is there a fire underneath where we are standing?"

"Yes; deep down."

"Then where's the chimney, sir?"

"Out beyond that smoke and steam, I expect. There, wash your hands.

It's not hot enough to scald your hard skin."

"No, sir; take a deal hotter water than that; but if you'll excuse me, gents, I'll get away from here, please. It don't feel safe."

"Give me the soap," said Lane, handing his gun to Panton.

"There, Smith, my lad, a man who comes to such a place as this mustn't be frightened at everything fresh he sees."

"Oh, I'm not frightened, sir, not a bit," said the man. "Am I, Billy?"

Wriggs grunted, and this might have meant anything.

"Only you see, sir," continued Smith, "it seems to me as it's a man's dooty to try and take care of hisself."

"Of course," said Oliver Lane, as he laved his hands. "What beautiful soft, silky hot water. We must come here and have a regular bathe. It is nicely shut in."

This to his companions, while Smith stood looking on in horror, and turned to his messmate.

"Look at him, Billy! Ain't it just awful? Come away 'fore we gets let through, and are boiled to rags."

"Hold yer tongue," growled Wriggs. "You'll have the gents hear yer.

Ask 'em to let us go back."

"You'll have to a.n.a.lyse this water, Panton," said Lane, as he went on with his washing. "There must be a deal of alkali as well as carbonate of lime in solution."

"Strikes me, mate, as it won't have us in slooshum?" whispered Smith.

"Don't ketch me slooshing myself in it."

The water a.s.sumed another shade of blue where Oliver Lane was washing, while Panton chipped off the petrification formed round the basin, and Drew examined some peculiar water-plants which grew just where the hot water issued to form the little stream.

"Be a fortune for anyone if he had it upon his own land in England,"

said Panton. "Can you see where the spring rises?"

"Yes, down here in the middle, there's quite a pipe. This must be similar to what we read about, connected with the geysers?" said Oliver.

"Here, you two, don't be so cowardly. Come and wash. Catch!"

He threw the soap to Wriggs, who caught it, let it slip from his fingers, and it went down into the beautiful blue basin of water with a splash.

"There, fetch it out!"

Accustomed to obey, Billy Wriggs stepped forward, plunged in his hands, caught the soap, and kept his fingers beneath the surface. "Why, it's lovely, matey!" he cried reproachfully to Smith. "Here, come on."

"Oh, very well," was the reply, and the sailor approached the basin.

"What's good for you's good for me, mate. Who's afraid? Well, I am!"

He was now kneeling, and was in the act of plunging in his hands, when there was a low gurgling noise, and, as if by magic, the water in the basin was sucked rapidly down the round central hole that had been almost invisible, leaving the basin perfectly empty.

"Nearly lost the soap," said Billy Wriggs.