A YOUNG NATURALIST. 



329 



" You are mistaken in that ; when you were quite a little 

 child I filled your cradle with them. But as they seem to 

 amuse you, I will teach you to weave them for yourself." 



At dark the children disappeared, and our host came to 

 wish us good-night. I told him of the light we had caught 

 a glimpse of the evening before. 



" It was Juan," he said. 



" And who is Juan ?" 



" The eldest of my grandchildren. He is watching a 

 flock of goats in the plain which belong to us." 



The voice of the old man woke me next morning, and I 

 got up at the same time as Sumichrast, who was still in a 

 semi-torpid state from having slept so well. Lucien and 

 l'Encuerado, who had risen earlier, had already explored the 

 ravine, led by the youngest of the children ; for the elder 

 ones worked, according to their several abilities, at collect- 

 ing wood or cultivating the fields. 



Our first care was to unpack the insects and bird-skins 

 we had collected, and the whole colony now surrounded us 

 and asked us innumerable questions. To our great disap- 

 pointment, we found we could only retain the most remark- 

 able of our " treasures." Hitherto, the bird-skins had taken 

 the place in the basket of the provisions we had eaten ; but, 

 after making an inventory, I came to the conclusion that, 

 when our provisions were renewed, it would be perfectly 

 impossible for l'Encuerado to travel with such an increased 

 load. So we were compelled to reject many of the speci- 

 mens, though not without regret. Suddenly the idea struck 

 me of questioning Coyotepec about his son's annual jour- 

 ney to Puebla. 



" He will start in fifteen days," answered the old man. 



"Will he go alone?" 



" No ; he takes with him three of our biggest lads and 

 six donkeys." 



