CHAPTEE XXXII. 



THE KING OF THE VULTURES— THE TICKS— l'ENCUERADO FEIGHTENED 

 BY A DEMON — THE TAPIRS — GOOD-BYE TO THE STREAM — THE PUMA's 

 PREY — A MISERABLE NIGHT— OUR DEPARTURE — THE SAVANNAH— 

 LUCIEN CARRIED IN A LITTER— HUNGER AND THIRST— WE ABANDON 

 OUR BAGGAGE AND PETS IN DESPAIR. 



J HE next morning, I'Encuerado started alone on the raft; 

 ^y^ for we had resolved to cross the savannah on foot, and 

 thus escape, for an hour or two, the insects which took 

 advantage of our forced immobility in order to bleed us at their 

 leisure. 



Flocks of black vultures hovered high up in the sky, bending 

 their course towards a spot not very far from the river bed. Our 

 curiosity led us in that direction, and in a large hole, with perpen- 



