THE ADVENTURES OF 



" Forward ! " Lucien re-echoed. 



The great trees which were now farther apart, allowed the 

 rays of the sun to penetrate the foliage, and the creepers drooped 

 down in flowery festoons. The convolvuluses, the ferns, and 

 the parasites, all entangled together, compelled us to use our 

 knives. A somewhat steep ascent, anxiously scaled, led us up 

 to a plateau. In front of us stretched a prairie dotted over with 

 thickets and bordered with forests of palm-trees, laurels, mag- 

 nolias, and mahogany-trees, from which sounded the songs of 

 various birds, mingled with the harsh cry of parrots. 



Panting, weary, and perfectly soaked with perspiration, I pro- 

 posed to bivouac on the plateau. Indeed, the sun was setting, 

 and we had only just time to coUect the wood we required for 

 the fire. This task finished, I went and sat down with Lucien 

 on the highest point we could find. The mountains of the T&rre- 

 Tempirie showed against the horizon, although we were already 

 at least fifteen leagues from them. We long looked down on 

 the tree-tops of the forest we had just crossed, and the unifor- 

 mity of the dark-green foliage had a most gloomy aspect ; and, 

 whilst close round us there were a number of birds fluttering 

 about the trees, none of the feathered tribe ventured into the 

 solitudes we had so lately traversed. 



" I cannot catch a sight of either rivulet or stream,'' said 

 Lucien. 



" Courage ! " replied Sumichrast, who had seated himself by 

 us. " The birds which are flying round us cannot live without 

 drinking, and their large number shows that there is plenty of 

 water near.'' 



" Hiou ! hiou ! Chanito." 



" Oh6 ! oh6 ! " replied Lucien, darting to the place whence he 

 heard the familiar cry. 



The two friends went down the hiU together, I'Encuerado 

 carrying his enormous gourd. 



" Can he have discovered water ? " said I to my companion, 

 and I approached the fire where the game was roasting, under 

 the inspection of Gringalet. Sumichrast remained to look after 

 the cooking of the birds, and I overtook Lucien and the 



