96 THE ADVENTURES OF 



" Eather ! I am so thirsty,, and the water left in my gourd is 

 quite warm." 



" It will be better for you not to drink; for a few draughts of 

 water taken when walking increase perspiration,, and make the 

 thirst worse,, instead of quenching it." 



The poor little fellow heaved a sigh, and crept closer to my 

 friend, who advised him to place in his mouth a small pebble, 

 which alleviates thirst by exciting salivation. 



In spite of all our exertions, we made little or no advance, and 

 a profuse perspiration added to our exhaustion. Fortunately, 

 everything seemed to indicate that the tempest was over. L'En- 

 cuerado led the way; his manner appeared as if searching for 

 something. At length I saw him throw down his load, and plunge 

 into the thicket. Soon he reappeared, with his hands full of a 

 kind of mulberry,, the fruit of the sarsaparilla, the acid flavour of 

 which much revived Lucien. We now understood TEncuerado's 

 peculiar way of walking. He fancied he had noticed a young shoot 

 of this plant, and at first concealed the discovery from us,, fearing 

 some deception. I can hardly describe the pleasure that was 

 afforded us by obtaining these berries in such a welcome time. 

 This shrub, with its vine-like and thorny stalk, abounded on the 

 steep slope. 



We resumed our march in much better spirits, thanks to this 

 Grod-send. L'Encuerado filled his cap with them, and walked 

 on bravely, with his head bare. Another half-hour's climbing 

 brought us to the verge of the forest. Suddenly I lost sight of 

 Grringalet. I called him several times, and at last he emerged 

 from a clump of shrubs, with his tail and muzzle wet. Sumi- 

 chrast rushed in search of the water, and soon cried out to us in 

 a joyous voice — - 



" A spring ! a spring 1 " 



We all tried who could get to it first. Under the foliage of 

 the sarsaparilla our companion was kneeling down and catching 

 in his hands a Httle streamlet of hmpid water, which was trick- 

 ling from between two rocks. With keen enjo3Tnent, he was 

 sprinkling it over his face and arms^ an example each of us soon 

 imitated. At last I hurried our party away, for the horrible 



