A YOUNG NATURALIST. 



225 



Not without soriie slight vexation Lucien was tied to the 

 lasso, while Gringalet, astonished, barked round us. 



" Patience ! patience !" I exclaimed to the dog ; " it will 

 be your turn next, and then, perhaps, you wnll not seem so 

 pleased." 



I let the lasso slowly down, and the boy w T as soon safely 

 lodged among the branches of the tree. With care equal 

 to mine, and with still firmer knots, PEncuerado tied the 

 cord afresh. Then, leaning over the precipice, I heard Su- 

 michrast's voice ordering the Indian to let the improvised 

 cable slowly down. Seeing that the port was safely reach- 

 ed, and relieved of a great care, I began tying Gringalet, 

 who hadn't left off howling since his young master disap- 

 peared. In spite of his terror, I launched the dog into the 

 air ; he struggled, howled, and nearly evaded l'Encuerado's 

 friendly grasp ; the latter, as he again let him down, tried 

 to explain the inutility of his struggles, and the danger of 

 breaking loose. At length, having for the last time exam- 

 ined the stakes and the cross-piece, I also descended. I 

 then shook the lasso, and at once succeeded in disenga- 

 ging it. 



I saw below me Sumichrast and Lucien, seated on a nar- 

 row projection, w T hich led by a rocky declivity down to the 

 foot of the mountain. Soon I joined them, followed by the 

 Indian. We Kad fixed the cross-bar between two stout 

 branches, and for a long time, without loosening the stick, 

 I shook the cord. At last, tired out, and about to leave it, 

 the piece of w^ood suddenly gave way, and nearly fell on 

 me. # 



Walking now became very laborious, and it was occa- 

 sionally difficult to preserve our balance in passing over 

 rocks, sometimes smooth, at others very uneven. Our path 

 lay between perfect hedges of orchids, of which beautiful 

 race Mexico possesses hundreds of species; w r e stopped at 



10* 



