A YOUNG NATURALIST. 257 



took up a position amid the bushes. I gave some water to 

 Gringalet, whose tongue hung out, for he had possibly suffered 

 most, as he would not eat the fruit which afforded us relief. 



Two shots were fired shortly afterwards ; but the sportsmen 

 soon returned with such a disappointed air that I felt sure they 

 had been unsuccessful. 



I made a joke of the matter, and pretended that the dry maize 

 cakes were better than the fattest turkey. I spoke with such 

 apparent seriousness that my companions began to get animated, 

 and a sharp controversy gave a zest to our frugal meal. I asserted, 

 too, that the tepid water in our gourds surpassed in flavour the 

 product of the coolest spring, and that the acid timbirichi was 

 the best of fruits. Gradually, however, I gave way, and at bed- 

 time pretended to be quite converted. I had amused our party, 

 and that was all I wanted. 



The night passed without any incident save the continued 

 attacks of mosquitoes, and the unfortunate Gringalet pressing 

 close to us to avoid the cruel stings of the blood-thirsty insects, 

 which much annoyed him. 



At sunrise I gave the word to start, and all day long we 

 met with no glade to give variety to our path. I could not help 

 admiring Lucien, who, although suffering from heat, fatigue, and 

 thirst, uttered not one complaint, but only looked at me with a 

 sad face. Two or three times I tried to enliven him ; the poor 

 little fellow then shook his troublesome burden and smiled 

 back so painfully that I was quite affected. L'Encuerado, over- 

 whelmed by his basket, puffed noisily, and declared every now 

 and then that he could sniff the river and the smell of the 

 crocodiles. This nonsense enlivened our march a little; but 

 soon, dull and silent, we resumed our sluggish pace. At last, 

 fatigue compelled us to halt, when Lucien and I'Encuerado went 

 off to sleep, quite forgetting their suppers. I proposed to Sumi- 

 chrast to regain as soon as we could the mountain path. 



" Let us keep on one day more," said my friend ; " we have 

 still four bottles of water left, and even if we give Lucien and 

 Gringalet the largest share, it will serve us for another twenty- 

 four hours." 



R 



