348 



INCIDENTS OP TRAVEL. 



ed up the surface of the water, and softened the rugged 

 mountains ; it was the most beautiful scene I ever saw, 

 and this loveliest view was the last ; for suddenly it be- 

 came dark, and very soon the darkest night I ever knew 

 came on. As we descended, the woods were so thick 

 that even in the daytime they shut out the light, and in 

 some places the road was cut through steep hills higher 

 than our heads, and roofed over by the dense foliage. 

 'Hezoos was before me, with a white hat and jacket, 

 and had a white dog running by his side, but I could 

 not see the outline of his figure. The road was steep 

 but good, and I did not pretend to direct the mule. In 

 one of the darkest passages 'Hezoos stopped, and, with 

 a voice that made the woods ring, cried out " a lion," 

 " a lion.'^ I was startled, but he dismounted and lighted 

 a cigar. This was cool, I thought ; he relieved me by 

 telling me that the lion was a different animal from the 

 roarer of the African desert, small, frightened by a 

 shout, and only ate children. Long as it seemed, our 

 whole descent did not occupy three hours, and at ten 

 o'clock we reached the house in the Boca de la Mon- 

 tagna. It was shut, and all were asleep ; but we knocked 

 hard, and a man opened the door, and, before we could 

 ask any questions, disappeared. Once inside, how- 

 ever, we made noise enough to wake everybody, and 

 got corn for the mules and a light. There was a large 

 room open to all comers, with three bedsteads, all oc- 

 cupied, and two men were sleeping on the floor. The 

 occupant of one of the beds, after eying me a few mo- 

 ments, vacated it, and I took his place. The reader 

 must not suppose that I am perfectly unscrupulous ; he 

 took all his bedclothes, viz., his chamar, with him. 

 The bed and all its furniture consisted of an untanned 

 bull's hide. 



