lo6 THE ADVENTURES OF 



regretted having lost a charge of powder, and also having awk- 

 wardly put to flight the quarry which was probably being pursued 

 by my companions. I then continued my work of cutting off 

 the branches, and told Lucien to strike the flint and light the 

 fire. Thanks to I'Encuerado's lessons, he managed his work 

 much better than I had expected. 



We heard Sumichrast give a call, to which Lucien answered, 

 and the disappointed hunter joined us. 



" What did you fire at ? " he inquired of me. 



" At a fox, which I missed ; were you chasing it ?" 



" No ; I caught sight of a doe and its fawn, but I could not 

 get near them." 



" And where is I'Encuerado ? " 



" He wanted to shoot some bird, so as not to come back quite 

 empty handed." 



" Chanito ! Hiou ! Hiou ! Chanito ! " we heard shouted in 

 the distance. 



"Holloa! holloa!" answered the boy. 



And, soon after, I'Encuerado returned, carrying a fawn on his 

 shoulders. 



" Oh ! what a pretty little creature ! " cried Lucien ; " why 

 didn't you take it aUve % " 



" Bullets are the only things that can run as fast as these 

 animals, Chanito." 



" What became of the mother 1 " asked Sumichrast. 



" I was not able to get near her ; but at all events, we have 

 more than enough meat now, both for to-day and to-morrow.'' 



Lucien took possession of the fawn ; he had always longed to 

 possess one of these animals alive. He duly examined the 

 slender legs and tapering muzzle of the poor creature, whose 

 fawn-coloured back, dotted over with symmetrically arranged 

 spots, would change in colour as it .got older. 



" Well, Master ' Sunbeam,' in what class will you place this 

 mammal ? " asked Sumichrast, addressing Lucien. 



" It is not like any of those I know." 



" Well, then, you never can have seen goats, cows, or sheep. 

 It is a Ruminant, or ananimal which has three or four stomachs. 



