268 THE ADVENTURES OF 



out fear of surprise. In a hole near the top of one of the palm 

 trees, Lucien spied out a parrot's nest, and had taken possession of 

 two young birds, red, green, and yellow in colour, which seemed 

 to adapt themselves wonderfully to the attentions lavished upon 

 them by the boy. 



"What are you going to do with these poor orphans?" I 



" I am going to take them home to my brother and sister. 

 L'Encuerado says that they would perch on the edge of his 

 load." 



" How shall you feed them ? " 



" With fruit, and sometimes with meat. M. Sumichrast said 

 yesterday that they would eat anything that was given to them. 

 I have already named them ' Verdet ' and ' Janet.' " 



" They will be sure to get within reach of Gringalet ; are you 

 sure that he will leave them alone ? " 



" L'Encuerado has already given him a lecture about it.'' 



"Still I am very much afraid that 'Verdet' and 'Janet' will 

 come to an untimely end." 



Whilst we were resting, Lucien and his friend went off to 

 examine a caoutchouc tree. The boy came back much disap- 

 pointed. 



"Your India-rubber tree isn't worth much," said he to Sumi- 

 chrast, showing him a thick white liquid, which he had just 

 collected. 



" And pray why not ? " 



" Because India-rubber ought to be black and dry." 



" It will acquire these qualities as it grows older. The Indiar 

 rubber oozes from the tree in the form of a milky liquid, like that 

 with which you are now smearing your fingers." 



About three o'clock, when the sun was shining perpendicularly 

 down upon us, I conducted my companions through the thickets, 

 in order to explore the course of the river. Very soon we were 

 obliged to cut our way with our machetes, and several reptiles 

 made off before our approach. Gradually as we advanced the 

 bank became covered with swamp ivy, bignonias, and cedar 

 trees, tUl we at last came out on a sandy shore, where five or 



