A YOUNG NATURALIST. 303 



graceful animal ; for twice it threw up its head and showed some 

 vague uneasiness. Sumichrast, fearing that it was about to make 

 off, was getting ready to fire, when the deer gave a bound and 

 sank down under the weight of a puma, which had sprung upon 

 it. I fired at the carnivora, which the ferocious brute responded 

 to by a loud roar, then dragging its prey a distance of about 

 fifty yards, it suddenly made off. The venison of the deer, 

 and more than thirty small crayfish caught by Lucien and his 

 friend, were a godsend to our larder, and amply made up for the 

 short commons of previous occasions. 



We watched the sun go down from the top of the hill ; and 

 descried on the horizon the bluish line of the Cordillera, with 

 the volcano of Orizava, towering up towards the west. Hence- 

 forth this mountain was to be our guide while crossing the 

 immense savannah, an undertaking which filled me with dread, 

 " Shall we cross that great plain?" asked Lucien. 

 " Yes, Master Sunbeam, it is the shortest way to Orizava." 

 " How many hours shall we be in doing it ? " 

 " Hours ? We shall be three or four days at least." 

 At this moment a storm, which we saw impending, burst over 

 us, and we hurried pell-mell to our hut. For four hours the 

 heavens continued to pour down, amid thunder and lightning, a 

 perfect deluge, and we were all, in spite of our shelter, soaked to 

 the skin. The clouds broke up, and a few stars shone out; about 

 midnight the clear sky regained its azure tint, while the moon 

 dimly lighted up the landscape. L'Encuerado, who slept through 

 it, now woke up to help us to rekindle the fire, and get ready a 

 cup of coffee ; after enjoying which, and changing our clothes, we 

 all retired to rest. 



In the morning we held a council to deliberate about the 

 route, and, after some debate, we agreed to I'Encuerado's pro- 

 posal, and decisively resolved to cross the savannah direct. 



It would have been madness to travel, so heavily laden as we 

 were, under the rays of a vertical sun ; so I proposed not to start 

 till the evening, and that henceforth we should travel by night, 

 a plan which quite rejoiced Lucien. 



After the baggage had been equally divided, and everything 



