THE ADVENTURES OF A YOUNG NATURALIST. 149 



they hailed me as a conqueror The terrible trials of the 

 day before seemed to be entirely forgotten ; even Lucien 

 had recovered ^11 his liveliness. L'Encuerado took the rab- 

 bit, and in an incredible short space of time had it skinned, 

 and placed to broil on the burning coals. 



" Well ! what do you think of hurricanes ?" asked Sumi- 

 chrast of Lucien, who was watching him cleaning his gun. 



" They are most awful ! I should never have thought 

 that the wind, which is invisible, could have blown down 

 and broken up trees as big as that one which almost fell 

 upon us." 



" Were you much frightened ?" 



" Rather ; and so were you, for you were quite pale." 



" The danger was much greater than you imagined. If 

 the uprooted tree had pitched on our rock, it would have 

 upset it, and crushed us beneath." 



" Then the wind must be much stronger in forests than 

 in towns ?" 



" No ; for the hurricane of yesterday probably destroyed 

 entire villages. It was one of those tropical storms which 

 happily only break out at long intervals. Many an Indian 

 is at this moment rebuilding his destroyed hut." 



Lucien looked very thoughtful, and went and sat down at 

 the foot of a tree. When I passed near him, I saw he had 

 tears in his eyes. 



" What's the matter?" I asked. 



" I was thinking of mamma and my brothers. M. Sumi- 

 chrast told me that the tempest must have demolished 

 whole villages; so perhaps our home has met with some 

 misfortune." 



" Don't be frightened, my dear boy ! Thank God ! stone 

 walls can generally stand against wind. Besides, this hur- 

 ricane can hardly have been felt at Orizava. At all events, 

 your mamma has more reason to be anxious about us, for 



