76 THE ADVENTURES OF 



" Couldn't you have chosen a tree that was not so tali?" 



" Don't you wish Chanito to learn to climb ? At all events, 

 the senora intrusted him to me." 



" And so you risk his breaking his bones ? " 



" I 'm not a child," replied the Indian, proudly, standing up- 

 right on a branch. 



" Enough of these gymnastics ! Come down at once ; although 

 G-od knows how you are going to manage it." 



The words were hardly out of my mouth when Lucien reached 

 the ground, suspended by a lasso which TEncuerado had tied 

 under his arms. The Indian had pulled him up to the lowest 

 branches in the same way. 



" You have not acted sensibly," said I to the Indian ; " we do 

 not begin to learn to ride by mounting a wild horse. Lucien 

 doesn't know yet how to climb high trees." 



"Lucien can climb as well as I can," retorted the culprit; "he 

 has never eaten an orange out of your garden without clambering 

 up to gather it himself." 



" That's something new to me," said I, looking hard at my son, 

 who blushed. " At any rate, orange trees are very different in 

 size from cotton woods, so you risked killing him." 



" No ; I kept tight hold of him. You very well know that if 

 Chanito were likely to come to his death by my fault, I should 

 die first." 



" That wouldn't bring the boy to life again. There will be 

 plenty of dangers in our excursion without seeking them out for 

 mere pleasure. I want to bring you all back safe and sound to 

 Orizava ; therefore, don't let us have any more of these ascents." 



Having uttered this remonstrance, I turned on my heel, for it 

 was no use trying to have the last word with I'Encuerado. I 

 was, however, quite sure that he would not renew the exploit 

 which had displeased me, and that was all I wished. 



At supper-time, Gringalet did not show any repugnance to the 

 flesh of the armadillo, the taste of which reminded Lucien of 

 sucking-pig. 



" Are armadillos very scarce 1 " he asked ; " they are never sold 

 in the market." 



