mountains whose spurs are already stretching forward to meet us. Who knows what pleasant surprises await us amid their steep declivities? I, for my part, expect to find water, fresh grass, trees, and a lovely resting-place.”
We were all glad to repose beneath the shade of the first over-hanging rock we came to, although by pressing further upwards, we might have attained to a pleasanter spot.
Looking back towards the Gap, we marked the strange contrast of the smiling country bordering the river, and the dreary, monotonous plain we had traversed.
After gazing on the distant scene, we produced our store of provisions, and were busily engaged, when Knips (our constant companion,) suddenly began to snuff and smell about in a very ridiculous way; finally, with a shriek which we knew was expressive of pleasure, he set off at full speed, followed by all the dogs, up a sort of glen behind us.
We left them to their own devices, being far too pleasantly engaged with our refreshments to care much what fancy the little rogue had got in his head.
When hunger was somewhat appeased, Fritz once more cast his eyes over the expanse of plain before us, and after looking fixedly for a moment, exclaimed—
“Is it possible that I see a party of horsemen riding at full gallop towards us! Can they be wild Arabs of the desert?”
“Arabs, my boy! certainly not; but take the spy-glass and make them out exactly. We shall have to be on our guard, whatever they are!”
“I cannot see distinctly enough to be sure,” said he presently, “and imagination supplies the deficiency of sight in most strange fashion. I could fancy them wild cattle, loaded carts, wandering hay-cocks, in fact almost anything I like.”
The spy-glass passed from hand to hand; Jack and Ernest agreed in thinking the moving objects were men on horseback;
