The Sacred Mountain

           THEsummitofthemountainwasstillahundredfeetabovethem.Thefugitiveswereanxioustoreachitthattheymightcontinuetheirflightontheeasternslopeoutoftheviewoftheirpursuers.Theyhopedthentofindsomepracticableridgethatwouldallowofapassagetotheneighboringpeaksthatwerethrowntogetherinanorographicmaze,towhichpoorPaganel’sgeniuswoulddoubtlesshavefoundtheclew.

           Theyhasteneduptheslope,spurredonbytheloudcriesthatdrewnearerandnearer.Theavengingcrowdhadalreadyreachedthefootofthemountain.

           "Courage!myfriends,"criedGlenarvan,urginghiscompanionsbyvoiceandlook.

           Inlessthanfiveminutestheywereatthetopofthemountain,andthentheyturnedtojudgeoftheirposition,anddecideonaroutethatwouldbaffletheirpursuers.

           FromtheirelevatedpositiontheycouldseeoverLakeTaupo,whichstretchedtowardthewestinitssettingofpicturesquemountains.OnthenorththepeaksofPirongia;onthesouththeburningcraterofTongariro.ButeastwardnothingbuttherockybarrierofpeaksandridgesthatformedtheWahitiranges,thegreatchainwhoseunbrokenlinksstretchfromtheEastCapetoCook’sStraits.Theyhadnoalternativebuttodescendtheoppositeslopeandenterthenarrowgorges,uncertainwhetheranyoutletexisted.

           Glenarvancouldnotprolongthehaltforamoment.Weariedastheymightbe,theymustflyorbediscovered.

           "Letusgodown!"criedhe,"beforeourpassageiscutoff."