^3 



6 THE ADVENTURES OF 



"Pull one from the middle, Chanito," cried I'Encuerado ; 

 " that 's the only way to get them." 



The boy seized the centre berry, which came out, and, like the 

 stones of an arch when the key-stone is taken out, all the cones 

 fell. Under their thick husk, there was a white, acid, melting 

 pulp, well adapted to quench the thirst; but I recommended 

 Lucien not to eat more than two or three of them. A second 

 clump, a little farther on, enabled us to gather a good stock of 

 them. Providence could not have placed in our path a more 

 valuable plant, for the hundreds of cones which we had gathered 

 would enable us to brave the necessities of thirst for two or three 

 days. We now walked on at a quicker pace, and Lucien, a little 

 refreshed, kept his place courageously by my side. 



" Well ! " said I, " you must confess now that virgin forests 

 may have something good in them. How do you like the 

 timbirichis ? " 



" They are excellent ; what family do they belong to 1 " 



" They are akin to the pine-apples, and, therefore, belong to 

 the bwmelacece." 



" But the pine-apple is a large fruit, which grows simply on its 

 stalk." 



" Yes ; so it appears ; but in reality it is formed by an assem- 

 blage of berries all joined together. The strawberry, which 

 belongs to the rose family, is similarly formed, and few people 

 would believe when they swallow a single strawberry that they 

 have eaten thirty or forty fruits." 



For an hour we scarcely exchanged a word, but walked silently 

 on, soaked with perspiration, and scarcely able to breathe the 

 heated air. 



"I think there is a glade," murmured Lucien, pointing to the 

 left. 



" So there is ; forward ! forward ! " 



Five minutes after we reached an open spot bathed in sunshine, 

 amid a thicket of tree-ferns and high grass. The trees, placed 

 more widely apart, were covered with gigantic creepers drooping 

 to the ground. Here we again heard the note of the Hocco. 



Whilst I was clearing the ground, Sumichrast and I'Encuerado 



