96 



THE ADVENTURES OF 



again met with the pine-needles, and though our ascent was 

 difficult and slow, our descent was proportionally rapid. 

 Thus we fell forward instead of falling backward. Gringa- 

 let, who seemed amused at our ridiculous postures, and was 

 too confident in his own powers, shared our mishaps, much 

 to the amusement of his young master, who had predicted 

 that such would happen. L'Encuerado, utterly tired out, 

 bethought himself of dragging his basket along the ground, 

 which was so thickly covered with leaves that he managed 

 it without damaging his load or breaking the bottles. 



At last we came upon oak vegetation ; and, still farther 

 down, tropical plants. Various birds enlivened our journey 

 by their song, while numbers of brilliant-colored insects 

 hummed cheerfully round us. In less than an hour we had 

 passed from autumn to spring, after having had a glimpse 

 of winter. The creepers very soon obliged us to cut a pas- 

 sage with our machetes / but what was our joy upon per- 

 ceiving, at the bottom of the ravine, a stream bordered with 

 angelica and water-cress ! 



Thanks to the abundance of materials, our hut was quick- 

 ly constructed. While l'Encuerado was getting dinner 

 ready, I went to examine the half-rotten trunk of a tree 

 which was lying on the ground. A multitude of insects, 

 of an elegant shape and of a metallic-blue color, fled at my 

 approach ; they belonged to the numerous Carabus family, 

 the flesh-eating Coleopterw, which are found both in Europe 

 and in America. 



" Why don't they fly away, instead of running or tum- 

 bling over on the ground ?" asked Lucien. 



" Because they are but little used to flying, and are very 

 quick at walking," I answered. 



" Oh papa ! the one I have caught has wetted my fingers, 

 and it feels as if it had burned me." 



" You are right ; but you needn't be afraid ; it will not 



