THE ADVENTURES OF 



soon be accustomed, for the first storm will probably overthrow 

 many of these formidable giants." 



" The tiger is frightened too, for he has made off, you see. 

 Try and go to sleep, my dear boy, for to-morrow we may per- 

 haps have to walk a long way." 



I leant my head against that of the child, who soon dropped 

 asleep. The forest had resumed its majestic silence, which was 

 only disturbed by the distant fall of another and another colossus. 



My anxiety was extreme, and though I knew our friends 

 would range every way in quest of us, we might so readily 

 wander in opposite directions, as we had no ammunition to 

 signal with should they come near. 



Towards morning, exhausted with fatigue, I fell asleep, and 

 dreamt in my feverishness that we were nearly at the end of our 

 journey, and close to Orizava in sight of home. A slender thread 

 of light announcing the dawn of day awoke us, and we arose. 



The clearness of day now broke upon us. For a quarter of an 

 hour I kept my ear to the earth, listening in the hopes of hearing 

 .some signal. 



Again and again I cocked my gun with the intention of firing, 

 and as regularly I laid it down, when I reflected I might only 

 be throwing away my ammunition. 



At length I took observations of the bearings of the ground, 

 and followed as far as possible our trail of the day before. 



In this operation we fortunately came upon a pool of water, 

 at which we quenched our thirst ; but though our hunger was 

 excessive, and game plentiful, we dared not discharge at it a 

 single shot. 



We hastened forward, and came upon some creeping plants, 

 indications that we were approaching a glade. Some birds were 

 singing in the branches, as we hurried on, but I had made up my 

 mind to shoot the first one large enough to make a meal for my 

 brave little companion and self 



In spite of my efforts, I could not succeed in hiding my grave 

 presentiments ; but my son's prattle, which was even gayer 

 than usual, quite justified the name of " Sunbeam " given him by 

 Sumichrast. 



