490 THE ADVENTURES OF 



through a steep ravine. Our little party reached the val- 

 ley just as the bells were ringing for vesper prayers. 



The sun was setting, and we were wrapped in obscurity ; 

 Indians kept crossing our path at every step, and the lamps 

 were here and there shining out through the dark. The 

 Rio Bianco barred our passage ; but large stones, placed 

 at intervals in the river, enabled us to cross it almost dry- 

 shod. Then Gringalet suddenly barked, and darted off 

 like an arrow. 



Twenty minutes after, we entered Orizava by some of 

 the side streets, to prevent a crowd following at our heels. 

 When we were about fifty paces from our house, Lucien 

 a"nd 1'Encuerado darted off at a racing pace ; they found 

 ah 1 the inmates of our home assembled on the threshold. 

 Gringalet had announced our arrival. 



When I entered the court-yard, Lucien and his mother 

 were sobbing in one another's arms ; Euiile, Hortense, and 

 Amelie were grouped round the basket, on which Janet 

 and Verdet were sitting. I noticed, standing in a corner, 

 the cases which had been intrusted to Torribio. 



L'Encuerado came and leaned against the door of the 

 room, twisting the broad brim of his hat quite out of 

 shape. 



"If it had not been for him," I said to my wife, "we 

 should have died !" 



The brave Indian stooped and kissed the hands of his 

 mistress. 



My children, who had gone out for a few minutes, now 

 burst into the room ; they had ransacked the ^basket, and 

 were disputing for poor Rougette, who was placed in the 

 fountain in the garden. Janet and Verdet, perched on the 

 back of a chair, stammered the names of Hoi-tense and 

 Emile, as well as could be hoped. The two children be- 

 came pale with pleasure and surprise. 



