They were naturally immensely delighted with these mementoes, and put them in their pockets, quite unsuspecting of the sequel that was to ensue.
It was a fearful scramble back up the steep path over the sliding cinders.

The guides held out a stick or a hand to help at awkward corners, and being young and active the party managed to scale the side of the ravine and regain the summit of the mountain without any accidents, though Delia confessed afterwards that she had fully expected to tumble backwards and roll into the lava, a fear which Miss Morley pooh-poohed entirely.
"There was no danger unless you fainted, and the guides were close at your elbow the whole time," she declared.
The smiling officials in the gray uniforms and red-banded caps had indeed seemed the good geniuses of the excursion, but alack! they exhibited a different aspect when they had conducted their party back to the entrance of the funicular railway.

Not satisfied with the payment which the government tariff allowed them to charge, they demanded from each of the visitors exorbitant tips in consideration of the little lumps of sulphur and lava which they had given them from the crater.

The girls, who had supposed these to be presents, were most indignant.
"Five francs for a scrap of sulphur!" "And we'd just called him such a kind man!" "Let him keep his wretched souvenirs!" "No, no! I want mine!" "It's too bad!" "I want my money to buy post-cards!" "It's absolute blackmail!" The guides, no longer smiling and obliging, but clamoring loudly for extra money, were finally settled with by Miss Morley, who knew the customs of the country, and was aware that they would be quite content with less than half of what they had asked.
"It's always the way in Naples," she said philosophically, as she thankfully bundled her flock into the funicular.

"You can't get along anywhere without tipping.