42 THE ADVENTURES OF 



" Isn't M. Sumichrast wrong in that, father ?" 



" No, my boy ; but those who have more experience than 

 you might well be mistaken, for when objects are seen at a 

 distance they always seem to blend together in a group. 

 This morning, for instance, when we were walking along 

 the main road, you were always exclaiming that it ended in 

 a point; but you were convinced that your eyes deceived 

 you. It is just the same now : these trees appear to be 

 farther apart in proportion as^we approach them; and you 

 will be quite surprised presently when you see how distant 

 they are from each other. The same illusion is produced 

 by the stars, which are millions of miles apart, and yet ap- 

 pear so thick in the sky, that your brother Emile was re- 

 gretting, the other night, that he was not tall enough to 

 grasp a handful of them." 



" And don't forget," added Sumichrast, " that light and 

 imagination often combine to deceive us." 



" Just as in the fable of the ' Camels and the floating 

 sticks.' " 



" Bravo ! my young scholar ; you've heard that fable ?" 



" Yes. One evening I was going into a dimly-lighted 

 room, and I fancied I saw a great gray man seated in a chair ; 

 I cried out, and ran away, afraid. Then papa took me by 

 the hand and led me into the dark room again, and I found 

 that the giant which had frightened me so much was noth- 

 ing but a pair of trowsers, thrown over the back of an arm- 

 chair. The next day mamma made me learn the fable of 

 the < Camels.' " 



On our road I called Lucien's attention to a small thorny 

 shrub, a kind of mimosa, called huizachi by the Indians, who 

 use its pods for dyeing black cloth, and for making a toler- 

 ably useful ink. The plain assumed by degrees a less mo- 

 notonous aspect. Butterflies began to hover round us, and 

 our young naturalist wanted to commence insect-hunting. 



