482 THE ADVENTURES OF A YOUNG NATURALIST. 



wcmld be exhausted, and the rice was of no use without 

 water. Fatigue gradually dispelled these gloomy thoughts, 

 and we fell asleep. 



I awoke about four o'clock in the afternoon, and was dis- 

 mayed to find that I'l^ncuerado had deserted us, accompa- 

 nied by Gringalet. 



Having passed a whole night in useless waiting, hoping 

 for his reappearing, we resolved to pursue our journey. 

 So we put all the baggage into one heap, and set Janet and 

 Verdet at liberty, leaving them the sack of rice, which we 

 could not carry. Then, loaded with our guns and gourds 

 alas ! almost empty we prepared to start on our jour- 

 ney without having the coin-age to undeceive Lucien, who 

 thought we were going to meet his friend. 



At last, having examined the horizon carefully, I placed 

 Master Job on my shoulder, and, led by Sumichrast, Lu- 

 cien being borne between us, we pursued our course. 



