110 



THE ADVENTURES OF 



of trunks, monstrous roots, and masses of rock, suspended 

 and apparently ready to fall. The catastrophe must have 

 recently occurred ; for here and there a branch was still 

 covered with foliage, and the grass had not as yet carpeted 

 the immense gap. Lucien was so astonished at the wild 

 grandeur of the scene that it actually put an end to his 

 chatter. Without speaking, we joined Sumichrast, who 

 was in advance. That a lagoon must have been filled up 

 by the avalanche of rocks, we saw certain indications. We 

 could hear the rumbling noise of water flowing beneath us. 

 On our left, at the foot of the mountain, extended a wide 

 basin, which, from its regular outline, might well have been 

 made by the hand of man. 



Every thing seemed silent and deserted around us, al- 

 though the bushes that margined the edge of the lagoon 

 must once have sheltered many a guest; now the impos- 

 ing grandeur of the scene had awed them, or driven them 

 off. \ 



" How could such a great mass as this fall down ?" asked 

 Lucien. 



" We can only conjecture," replied Sumichrast ; " perhaps 

 the stream flowing beneath the base of the rocks had exca- 

 vated fissures, and thus undermined it." 



" The noise must have been terrific," said Lucien. 



" Doubtless it was," replied Sumichrast ; " and the shock 

 possibly felt for many leagues round." 



"Have you ever seen a mountain fall in two like that, 

 M. Sumichrast?" 



" Yes ; I did five years ago, when I was in company with 

 your father. A whole forest disappeared before our eyes 

 in a land-slip, which also overwhelmed four or five Indian 

 huts. In a year from the present time, the wilderness of 

 bare rocks that we see before us will be again covered with 

 thick vegetation ; mosses will grow over these gray-colored 



