A YOUNG NATURALIST. 



45 



I restrained his ardor, as I wished to keep our boxes and 

 needles free for the rarer species which we might expect to 

 find as soon as we had reached more uninhabited districts. 

 At last, lagging a little, our party reached the foot of the 

 mountains. 



It was now five o'clock ; night was coming on, so it was 

 highly necessary to look out for shelter. We came in view 

 of a bamboo-hut in the nick of time. An old Indian was 

 reclining in front of it, warming his meagre limbs in the rays 

 of the setting sun, clad in nothing but a pair of drawers and 

 a hat with a torn brim. He rose as we came near, and prof- 

 fered us hospitality. His wife, whose costume consisted of 

 a cotton shirt edged with red thread, came running in answer 

 to his call, and was quite in raptures at the prettiness of the 

 " little white traveller," who completely ingratiated himself 

 by saluting her in her own language. We had accomplish- 

 ed a journey of seven leagues, although Lucien, thanks to 

 Don Antonio's horse, had not walked quite so far. 



The aborigines set before us rice and beans. After this 

 frugal repast, washed down with cold water, I wanted Lucien 

 to lie down on a large mat ; but the restless little being took 

 advantage of his elders being comfortably stretched out to 

 sleep, and ran off to see our hostess's fowls roosting for the 

 night on a dead tree, and then to prowl up and down in com- 

 pany with l'Encuerado. The latter had ferreted out a three- 

 corded guitar which was in the hut, and strummed away at 

 the same tune for hours together — no doubt to the great 

 pleasure of the boy, although to us it was quite the reverse. 



At last our bedding was unrolled, and I enjoined repose 

 on all. Gringalet couched down in the hut, at the feet of 

 his young master. L'Encuerado, however, preferred sleep- 

 ing in the open air, only too happy, as he said, to see the 

 sky above, and to feel the wind blow straight into his face 

 without having to be filtered through walls and windows. 



