THE ADVENTURES OF A YOUNG NATURALIST 105 



" What on earth has possessed you to chase useless game 

 at this hour of the night ?" I cried, as he came into sight. 



" I felt bound to give these screeching animals a lesson, 

 senor; if I hadn't done so, they would have come back to 

 disturb us every night," answered the Indian, gravely. 



" Have you killed any of them ?" 



" I only managed to wound one. I followed it — " 



" At the risk of falling into some pit. You can't see at 

 night — at least, as far as I know." 



" Not very well ; but that is all your fault," replied l'En- 

 cuerado, in a reproachful tone. 



" What! my fault?" 



" The brujos (sorcerers) have many a time offered me an 

 ointment made of cats' eyes and fat ; but they wanted too 

 much for it. You knew much more about it than the sor- 

 cerers ; and if you would only have told me the way to 

 make the ointment, and how to use it, I should have been 

 able to see at night, long enough ago, which would be quite 

 as useful to you as to me." 



This was an old story, and all that I could have said to 

 the Indian would not have convinced him that I could not 

 make him see in the dark. 



It was broad daylight when Sumichrast awoke us. The 

 brook, which we could cross at a leap, sometimes rippled 

 over pebbles, and sometimes glided silently over a sandy 

 bottom. The plants which grew on its two banks frater- 

 nally intertwined their green branches, and their flowers 

 seemed to exchange their perfumes. From the boughs of 

 the large trees hung gray mosses, which made them look 

 like gigantic old men ; the sun gilded their black trunks 

 with its risfng beams, and from the tops of the trees the 

 sweet chant of birds rose up towards heaven. Our eyes, 

 which had become accustomed to the comparatively barren, 

 places we had traversed the day before, dwelt with delight 



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