88 ADVENTURES OF A YOUNG NATURALIST. 



it. The sky appeared as if it was all in a blaze ; vast glittering 

 jets of light seemed as if darting from the setting sun ; a few 

 clouds, tinted with bright Ted colour, flitted across the heavens. 

 The bright gleam became more and more vivid, but without at all 

 dazzling our eyes. A few birds might be heard uttering shrill 

 cries; and the falcons, who were making their way to their aeries, 

 stopped for a moment their rapid flight, and whirled round and 

 round in space with an undecided air. 



" The wind will blow tremendously to-morrow," said I'En- 

 cuerado ; " only once before did I ever see the sky lighted up as 

 it is to-night, and then two days after there was a frightful hurri- 

 cane, which demolished most of the huts in our village." 



" I think we shall get oiF with nothing but a south wind like 

 that which worried us the day we set off'," said Sumichrast. 



Wrongly or rightly, I attributed this phenomenon of light to 

 the position of the clouds. The intensity of the light decreased 

 till it was nothing but a glimmer. Night resumed its empire, 

 and there was nought to guide us back to our bivouac but the 

 flame of our fire. 



