“Not much, Master Knops.  I have seen iron in various forms introduced, but think that is usually controlled by the earth’s formation.”

Leo sighed at his own ignorance, and vowed to study up these matters; but Knops, seeing his look of dejection, asked, “How would you like a bath?”

“Delightful.  Where?  Surely not in the lake; it looks so cold and glassy I should not dare.”

“Oh, no, no,” laughed Knops.  “Do you think I’d let you bathe in a reservoir?  Never!  We are too cleanly for that, begging your pardon.  Here is our general bath.  It’s quite a tub, isn’t it?”

“I should think so,” said Leo, surveying quite a spacious apartment, about which were pipes and faucets, clothes-lines and screens.

Here his friend left him, and he was glad to doff his garments for a plunge.  He found that he could make the water hot or cold at will, and so luxurious was it that he would have stayed in any length of time had not a crowd of elves come chattering in, and with whoop and scream surrounded him.  Though they could not see him, they were conscious of some disturbing force in the water, and in an instant a lot of them had scrambled on his back, and were making a boat of him.  They pulled his hair and his ears unmercifully, and because he swam slowly, with their weight upon him, they whacked and thumped him like little pirates.  But he had his revenge, for with one turn he tumbled them all off, and sprang from the bath, leaving them to squirm and squabble by themselves.

Laughing heartily at their antics, he rejoined Knops and Paz, whom he found poring over some maps spread out before them.

“We have been discussing the length of a journey to the Geysers of Iceland, also to the hot springs of the Yellowstone, but I am afraid either would require too much time.  Was your bath agreeable?”

“Very,” said Leo, describing how he had been pummelled.

“Those were the fellows from the steam-rooms—­stokers probably.  Rough enough they are.  Do you care to have a glance at them at work?”

“Don’t care if I do,” said Leo, in his old drawling manner; then, correcting himself, he added:  “If it suits your convenience, I shall be very happy to take a look.”

“That is all it will be, I promise you,” said Paz; “the heat is awful.”

Leo thought as much when Knops, having tied a respirator over his mouth, opened another door.  Such a cloud of vapor puffed out that he could but dimly discern what seemed to be a tank of boiling, bubbling water, resting on a bed of soft coal, about which stark little forms were dancing and poking with long steel bars until flames leaped out like tongues of fire.

“Oh,” said Leo, as he quickly turned from his place, “how do they endure it?  It is dreadful!”

“They are used to it; they all came from Terra del Fuego,” replied Knops, calmly.  “And now, as a contrast to them, look in here.”