there. He is probably at the other end of Krakatoa--four or five miles
off--on the South side of Rakata, where the hermit's cave is supposed to
be, for no one seems to be quite sure as to its whereabouts. Besides,
you'll have to stick by the excursionists if you wish to return to
Batavia."

Captain Roy paused for a moment to recover breath, and looking down upon
the dense tropical forest that stretched between him and the Peak of
Rakata, he shook his head, and admitted that the merchant was right.
Turning round he addressed himself once more to the ascent of the cone,
on the sides of which the whole excursion party now straggled and
struggled, remarking, as he panted along, that hill-climbing among ashes
and cinders didn't "come easy to a sea-farin' man."

Now, nothing was more natural than that Van der Kemp and his guest
should be smitten with the same sort of desire which had brought these
excursionists from Batavia. The only thing that we do not pretend to
account for is the strange coincidence that they should have been so
smitten, and had so arranged their plans, that they arrived at
Perboewatan almost at the same time with the excursionists--only about
half an hour before them!

Their preliminary walk, however, through the tangled, almost
impassable, forest had been very slow and toilsome, and having been
involved in its shadow from daybreak, they were, of course, quite
unaware of the approach of the steamer or the landing of the excursion
party.

"If the volcano seems quieting down," said Nigel to his host, "shall you
start to-morrow?"