THE DOCTOR'S MISHAP. 323 



breadth of the desert plain had wearied more than any 

 other, showed himself full of vivacity : 



" Hurrah ! " he cried, " now is the time for tasting the 

 bear ! I bet, gentlemen," and he brandished his lance 

 with a martial air, " I bet that the first eaten shall be 

 killed by your humble servant, and with this lance, which 

 has been the object of your railleries. You may laugh, 

 but I will keep my word, and that before to-morrow 

 evening." 



While uttering his bellicose defiance, the little man 

 dug his spurs into the sides of his dock-tailed pony, and 

 this in so vigorous a manner that the courser, little flat 

 tered by the attention paid to him, reared and capered so 

 much and so well as to fling the doctor and his spear 

 clean out of the saddle. We laughed heartily at his 

 misadventure, the more so because it cost him nothing 

 but a fright, and he rose, and sprang again into his 

 saddle, with a skill and a promptitude to which he had 

 not previously accustomed us. 



Before nightfall we were near enough to distinguish 

 the peaks of the chain, as well as the valleys which sepa- 

 rated them. We encamped at the foot of the mountains. 

 All hearts were astir, for we approached the country of 

 the Indians, and were already so close upon the mountains 

 that we might reasonably anticipate a hunt on the mor- 

 row. 



And, therefore, at a very early hour 011 the following 

 morning we were up, and under arms. The day was to 

 be a rough one, and we prepared ourselves for its fatigues 

 by a substantial breakfast. 



As we approached the mountains, those masses of 

 granite presented to our eyes the most curious figures. 



