V24? 



THE GUIDE. 





time, lie looked at the mark she bore, and 

 knew it to he that of* the cattle upon his own 

 estates. " How can this animal," he exclaimed, 

 " have strayed so far from its own home ?" 

 The want of water had made it stray at least 

 one hundred leagues. This day we overtook a 

 party of Sertanejos, as the inhabitants of the 

 Sertam are called, likewise going our way. 

 They were at the mid-day resting-place, and 

 one of their horses was, at the time of our com- 

 ing up, tottering from having eaten of the Yco ; 

 they were trying to give it maize, in the hope 

 of recovering it, as this is said to have the 

 effect, if it is taken soon after ; but at the time 

 we left them, the animal, when he fell, was with 

 difficulty raised, and the major said that he 

 thought him too far gone. I never heard whe- 

 ther these persons returned, or still advanced 

 after this misfortune. I observed in the after- 

 noon several heaps of rocks in the bed of the 

 river, which must form beautiful falls of water 

 when the stream is rapid. 



Towards evening my guide began to try me. 

 I found that there had been some conversation 

 between him and the two Indians respecting 

 the journey, and now he sounded me about re- 

 turning. I told him I had perfectly determined 

 to go on, and that I would most certainly shoot 

 the man who attempted to go back, and that 

 even if he then escaped me, I would follow him 



