88 INSECT LIFE 



XIII 



said I, " was it not from the south ? " " Certainly 

 from the south." " And though the wind was 

 hardly perceptible, the rain slanted slightly from 

 south to north ? " " Yes, I noticed that until I got 

 bewildered. Is not that something to guide us ? 

 Let us descend on the side whence the rain comes." 

 " I had thought of that, but felt doubtful ; the wind 

 was too light to have a clearly defined direction. 

 It might be a revolving current such as are produced 

 on a mountain top surrounded by cloud. Nothing 

 assures me that the first direction has been con- 

 tinuous, and that the current of air does not come 

 from the north." "And in that case?" "Ah! 

 there is the crux ! I have an idea ! If the wind 

 has not changed, we ought to be wettest on the left 

 side, since the rain came on that side till we lost our 

 bearings. If it has changed we must be pretty 

 equally wet all round. We must feel and decide. 

 Will that do?" "It will." "And if I am mis- 

 taken ? " " You will not be mistaken." 



In two words the matter was explained to our 

 friends. Each felt himself, not outside, which would 

 not have been sufficient, but under his innermost 

 garment, and it was with unspeakable relief that I 

 heard one and all announce the left side much 

 wetter than the right. The wind had not changed. 

 Very good, let us turn toward the rainy quarter. 

 The chain was formed again, Verlot as rearguard, to 

 leave no straggler behind. Before starting, I said 

 once more to my friend, " Shall we risk it?" " Risk 

 it ; I follow you," and we plunged into the awful 

 unknown. 



Twenty of those strides which one cannot moderate 



