THE GREAT CORDILLERA. 



175 



ready been on his shoulders, was kicking and spur- 

 ring and beating his mule, and in this attitude ac- 

 tually rode out of our sight, without once turning 

 to look behind him. 



When we came up to him, " What, did you not 

 see," said he, " the whole face of the mountain 

 moving, and smoke piping out of all the crevices ?" 

 He added he had heard that Chili was full of vol- 

 canoes, that he considered the whole mountain was 

 coming upon him, and that therefore he certainly 

 did ride for his very life. 



As our mules were very tired with the fatigue 

 they had undergone in climbing the Cumbre, we 

 stopped earlier than usual, at an uninhabited house 

 called La Guardia, where there Avas some food for 

 the mules, but as the house was full of fleas, most 

 of us slept on the ground outside. A little after 

 midnight, as soon as the moon was up, we again 

 mounted our mules, but as the capataz was very 

 slow in loading the cargas, I rode on with one of 

 the party. 



We came to several torrents and laderas, and the 

 former in the dark were passed very unwillingly,^ 

 for, as my companion very justly said, If one is to 



