A YOUNG NATUBALIST. 



293 



sels of totopo. All our indisposition had now fortunately 

 vanished, but we could not helj) feeling some degree of ill- 

 will against both the euphorbias and the torrent. A long 

 march, during which we several times left and rejoined the 

 course of the stream, brought us close to a hill at the foot 

 of which was a vast swamp. I gave the signal for halting. 

 L'Encuerado in our march had gathered some reeds, and set 

 to work to plait us hats. Leaving him with Lucien, Sumi- 

 ctyast and I went off in quest of game. On our return 

 from an unproductive ramble, I saw that my son was al- 

 ready wearing a funnel-shaped head covering. L'Encuera- 

 do offered me a similar one, which, as my friend remarked, 

 gave me the look of a Chinese. After having rested a short 

 time, I thought about again looking for game ; but the up- 

 roar of the torrent seemed to have frightened away all ani- 

 mal life. 



This second ramble quite exhausted us, without produc- 

 ing any prey but a tanager, far too small to afford food for 

 so many. L'Encuerado and Lucien, both out in the midst 

 of the swamp, perceived us approaching. The young gen- 

 tleman came running towards us, holding his newly-made 

 hat in his hand ; but, in his haste, he forgot that the bed of 

 a marsh is almost always slippery, and he fell flat on his 

 face among some aquatic plants. In one leap the Indian 

 was close to him, and soon picked him up ; but, instead of 

 complaining of his fall, Lucien looked up at the Indian with 

 a troubled face. The fact was, his hat held some fish he 

 had caught with his insect-net, and at least a third of them 

 had disappeared from his disaster. 



" Oh dear ! oh dear !" cried Sumichrast, who could not 

 help smiling at the piteous face of the young fisherman ; 

 " most decidedly, we are all unfortunate." 



This joke was taken in a serious light by TEncuerado, 

 who smote his forehead as if suddenly struck by some idea. 



