PROCEED ON THE JOURNEY. 



223 



rain, as they had come to assist in collecting 

 cattle. The fellows were eating dried meat, 

 and had by some means obtained a quantity of 

 rum. I took up my station at a distance from 

 the house, and we scarcely laid down during the 

 night, from the fear of rain, and in some mea- 

 sure that we might be prepared to prevent any 

 of our horses being stolen, as a piece of sport, 

 by the people in the house. 



The next day we crossed over a plain which 

 was partly without trees and in part covered 

 with brushwood ; in going over this last por- 

 tion I had pushed on with Julio, leaving the 

 co??ihoio to follow us. We had nearly lost our 

 way at the division of several paths ; even 

 Julio's knowledge was insufficient, and had we 

 not met some travellers and enquired of them, I 

 know not how far from the baggage we might 

 have been at night. 



On the following morning we advanced again, 

 took water in skins near to some cottages, and 

 at noon stationed ourselves in the bed of a 

 rivulet, where there was good grass, but no 

 water. As the bed was lower than the neigh- 

 bouring land the very first shower had made the 

 grass spring up, though there had not been 

 rain sufficient to excite vegetation upon its 

 banks. Here the armadillo strayed into some 

 brushwood ; Feliciano followed it by the marks 

 of its footsteps over the grass and dry leaves, and 



