296 



THE ADVENTURES OF 



L'Encuerado landed, and crossing the prairie, called us. I 

 found him close to an enormous willow tree; without loss of 

 time, Lucien, Sumichrast, and I climbed up among the branches, 

 taking Gringalet with us ; but the Indian preferred posting him- 

 self in a more isolated position. 



" We shall have roast fillet of beef to-night," cried he, execut- 

 ing among the branches such a series of gambols that I feared he 

 would finish by falling. 



The cattle approached. The ground trembled under their feet, 

 and we were deafened by their bellowing. One of them, a mag- 

 nificent bull, with a black coat sprinkled with white spots, took 



the lead. The drove, which first trotted on, and then stopped to 

 browse, followed its imperious-looking chief ; the caymans, as if 

 awakened by the uproar, assembled at the opening of the 

 savannah, and numerous watchful eyes were to be seen on the 

 surface of the water. 



The wild drove halted at about fifty paces from the stream ; the 

 black and white bull advanced alone, and first leisurely taking a 

 drink, plunged into the water ; it reached the opposite bank, 

 where it halted and turned right about. Then the entire drove, 

 above which was hovering a cloud of horse flies, dashed at full 



