A YOUNG NATURALIST. 51 



we should walk round, each on our own side, so as to meet again 

 at the other extremity of the open space. Gringalet, seeing us 

 separate, could not at first make up his mind which party he 

 should go with ; but bounded from one to the other, and caressed 

 each of us, raising plaintive whines. At last he seemed deter- 

 mined to follow me, but scarcely had I progressed a hundred 

 yards before he stopped, as if to reflect. He probably thought 

 he had left something behind, for he quickly disappeared. 



I walked for half an hour through the brake, with eye and ear 

 both on the watch, and my finger on the trigger, without dis- 

 covering the least evidence of game. My companion did not 

 appear more fortunate than I was, when suddenly a gun went 

 off". At the same time, I saw Sumichrast pointing to a number 

 of squirrels crossing the glade. 



" Have you killed one % " I asked. 



" Yes ; but it is sticking fast between two branches, sixty feet 

 above the ground ; it is a shot thrown away." 



We watched anxiously the rapid bounds of the graceful httle 

 animals which we had just disturbed, as they were fast making 

 their way into the wood. 



" Is I'Encuerado asleep 1 " I cried, with vexation. 



My question was answered by two shot-reports in succession, 

 and almost immediately Gringalet, I'Encuerado, and Lucien 

 emerged from the forest. After searching about for a few 

 minutes, the boy raised up his arm and showed us two squirrels 

 he was holding. We now hastened our steps ; the Indian had 

 taken possession of the game, and was moving on towards our 

 bivouac, whilst Lucien ran to meet us. 



" Papa, papa ! " he cried, all out of breath, " my gun killed one 

 of the squirrels. Oh ! M. Sumichrast, you shall see it ; it is gray, 

 with a tail like a plume." 



" But was it really you that shot ? " I asked. 



" Oh, yes ! I shot, but I'Encuerado held my gun ; we aimed 

 into the middle of them, for there were a great many. If you 

 could only have seen how they jumped ! The one I hit climbed 

 up on the tree close by; but it soon fell as dead as a stone. 

 L'Encuerado says that he hadn't time to suffer much pain." 



