As our friends completed their visit they gave a couple of francs to the brother who had conducted them through the place. The other brethren had spread their wares on the floor of the court-yard, and were waiting for the chance of selling something; but nobody wished to buy. As they gave the money to the monk he asked if it was for himself or the convent. When they said it was for himself he repeated the question in a loud voice, so that his companions could hear it and the answer which followed. Another franc was then added "for the convent," and immediately each of the monks gathered his possessions from the floor, and disappeared into an inner room. The strangers were shown through the little door, and, after a short stroll among the desolate surroundings of the convent, they returned to their camp. [Illustration: ROAD TO THE DEAD SEA.] The dragoman roused the party before daylight, and by the time the hills were fairly lighted up they were off for the Dead Sea. They descended to the Valley of the Kedron, which is overlooked by the towers of Mar Saba, and ascended the stream for a short distance to a suitable crossing-place, when they turned to the eastward. Another encampment of Bedouins was passed, and then another; the road lay among hills wilder and more desolate, if possible, than that of the day before, and in some places it was so rocky as to be really dangerous. On two or three occasions horses fell with their riders, but fortunately without doing any serious injury. Frank had his foot jammed very hard against a rock around which he was passing, and the thickness of his boot barely saved him from injury. Not a year passes without accidents of more or less severity in this part of the way, and our friends heard afterward of broken legs and arms among the tourists of the preceding year. The guides and tourist agencies take great pains to conceal these occurrences, and it is only through the consuls or other disinterested persons, apart from the victims and their friends, that accidents are ever heard of. They descended rapidly, and it was apparent to all that the Dead Sea was far below the level of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. [Illustration: THE DEAD SEA FROM THE NORTH.] Suddenly they came to a break in the hills, and before them lay the Dead Sea, its surface smooth as glass, and reflecting the rays of the sun with dazzling distinctness. On the opposite side were hills as steep as those they were descending, and away to the left was the Valley of the Jordan, with the famous river winding through it in numberless curves and zigzags that were shown by the trees fringing its banks. They were looking on the waste of waters that covers the buried cities of the plain. It seemed close at their feet; but as they proceeded they found how deceptive was their vision, as it was yet a long ride before its banks were reached.