A YOUNG NATURALIST. 



133 



not badly sewn," said l'Encuerado, with evident satisfac- 

 tion. 



But all of a sudden, after a final and more conscientious 

 examination, the animal began barking furiously, and seiz- 

 ing hold of the patches that had been so industriously sewn 

 in, he tried to tear them away. 



" The simpleton fancies the squirrel is still alive !" cried 

 the Indian. 



Although driven away at least twenty times, Gringalet 

 kept on returning to the attack, and he assailed the trow- 

 sers with so much ardor that a fresh rent was made. Then 

 PEncuerado became angry, and the dog having been punish- 

 ed, went and crouched down by the fire ; but he still con- 

 tinued to show his teeth at the strange lining which seemed 

 so offensive to him. 



The sun was setting; its golden rays, quivering among 

 the branches, appeared one by one to get higher and higher 

 until gloom began gradually to pervade the forest. We 

 were assembled around our bivouac, when a rosy tint sud- 

 denly illumined the tops of the trees and penetrated through 

 the foliage. As this marvellous effect of light appeared to 

 last a considerable time, we again went into the open glade, 

 so as to be better able to observe it. The sky appeared as 

 if it was all in a blaze ; vast glittering jets of light seemed 

 as if darting from the setting sun ; a few clouds, tinted with 

 bright red color, flitted across the heavens. The bright 

 gleam became more and more vivid, but without at all daz- 

 zling our eyes. A few birds might be heard uttering shrill 

 cries ; and -the falcons, who were making their way to their 

 aeries, stopped for a moment their rapid flight, and whirled 

 round and round in space with an undecided air. 



"The wind w T ill blow tremendously to-morrow," said 

 PEncuerado ; " only once before did I ever see the sky 

 lighted up as it is to-night, and then two days after there 



