A YOUNG NATURALIST. 43 



had a mock bull-fight. The animal, wonderfully well trained to 

 the sport, ran after the youngsters, and more than once succeeded 

 in knocking them down. When Lucien met this fate, Gringalet 

 became furious and sprang upon the pretty little creature ; but 

 the dog's young master got up in a moment and soon quieted his 

 protector's energy. We had noticed, ever since we set out, that 

 Gringalet always preferred to follow close to the boy, and seemed 

 to have taken upon himself the task of watching over his safety. 



Our host told us that he was born and also married in the 

 village of Tenejapa ; but being enlisted for a soldier by force, he 

 deserted and took up his abode on this plateau. We were the 

 first white men who had paid him a visit for six years. His 

 fields produced maize, beans, and tobacco, which his wife and 

 sister-in-law took twice a year to Orizava to exchange for neces- 

 saries for housekeeping. He was as happy as possible, and was 

 never tired of praising the charms of forest and plain. But his 

 raptures were not required to convert us to his opinions. 



Night-fall was accompanied by cold, to which we were but 

 little accustomed. The Indians lent us some mats ; then we all 

 wrapped ourselves up, and were soon asleep, notwithstanding the 

 primitiveness of our couch. 



About two in the morning I woke up numbed from the low- 

 ness of the temperature ; Lucien also was nearly frozen. I 

 hastened to cover him up with my sarapS, for on these heights 

 we were exposed to the north wind blowing from the volcano of 

 Citlatepetl, and the atmosphere would not get warm again until 

 sun-rise. Sumichrast soon joined me ; he had also given up his 

 covering to the child. I then set to work to look for some small 

 branches to light the fire ; but our movements ultimately roused 

 up our host, and, thanks to him, we were soon able to sit down 

 in front of a powerful blaze. Still I'Encuerado, from force of 

 habit, who was hardly sheltered at all, was sleeping like a top. 

 At last, aided by the heat, sleep resumed its influence, and I 

 dropped off again in slumber. 



When I awoke, the sun was shining in a cloudless sky, and 

 everybody was up. Sumichrast was inspecting the arms and 

 ammunition, for, from this day forward, we should have to pro- 



