A YOUNG NATURALIST. 309 



ceeded, to lie down and rest, but then I thought of Chanito, and 

 ran on faster than ever. Without knowing why, I stumbled, 

 and I think I must have fallen asleep. "When I opened my eyes 

 the sun had set, and Gringalet was licking me with his tongue. 

 I got up, stupefied as I was, and ran forward without halting to 

 the verge of a wood. I dashed in among the trees ; and in less 

 than a quarter of an hour I came upon a great lake, and horses 

 and buffaloes running wild. My strength, however, began to fail, 

 and it took me more than four hours to catch this mustang," 

 continued the Indian, looking down on his steed, " but I soon 

 made him know his master was on his back." 



Having returned to our bivouac to recover our treasures, we 

 resolved to start immediately, as the sky was obscured by clouds. 



Next day I'Encuerado set to work to provide us all with 

 horses. Having prepared a lasso, the agile Indian darted off at 

 full gallop towards a drove which were grazing some distance 

 off; and by night had captured five of their number. Two 

 days, however, were spent in breaking our mounts, and render- 

 ing them docile ; but as our stores were visibly diminishing, and 

 we were considerably freshened up, it became highly necessary 

 for us to start. 



Next morning our little cavalcade crossed the plains and woods 

 almost at a gallop. The blue mountains in front looked higher 

 and higher, and the outlines of the volcano grew more defined. 



The second day of our march we had to cross some muddy 

 marshes, in which our horses mired up to their bellies. On reach- 

 ing firm ground again, we hoped to perceive a human dwelling, 

 but the trees restricted our view. 



At last, in the afternoon of the third day, just as we were 

 endeavouring to go round two Avild bulls engaged in a combat, a 

 horseman came out in front of us, halted for a moment as if in 

 indecision, and then turned short round and rode off, after having 

 fired his gun at us. 



We hurried on our horses, making sure of soon coming upon 

 a hacienda, when we heard another gunshot, and a bullet whistled 

 by our ears. The Indian rode swiftly towards the would-be 

 murderer, but he went off at full gallop. In spite of my cries, 



