A YOUNG NATURALIST. 



363 



Almost immediately an animal swam vigorously up to the 

 reptile, and, having stopped to smell at it, continued its 

 course. 



" Are there such things as opossum-fishes ?" asked Lu- 

 cie n, surprised. 



" It is an otter," said I, in a low voice. 



And quickly descending the rock, I followed Sumichrast 

 to the water's edge, at a spot where the animal appeared 

 inclined to land. We waited for an hour without any re- 

 sult. 



My friend proposed to go and take a hurried dinner, and 

 then return to our post near the rock. In a few minutes 

 we had joined l'Encuerado, for, unknown to us, our bivouac 

 was established about four gunshots from the lake. The 

 Indian jumped with joy on hearing of the appearance of 

 what he called a " water-dog." 



" You may set me down as a fool," said he to Gringalet, 

 caressing him, " if by to-morrow morning I don't give you 

 one of your brother's legs for breakfast." 



" Are otters really relations of Gringalet ?" asked Lucien 

 of me. 



" Yes ; according to Cuvier, they are digitigrades. Add- 

 ed to this, the otter may be tamed and trained to bring 

 fish out of the water, which it is very skillful in catching, 

 for it eats scarcely any thing else." 



The sun was just setting, and behind us the dark outlines 

 of the trees stood out against the orange-colored sky, while 

 hundreds of birds were warbling and twittering around. 

 A dark shade spread over the horizon, and all was solemn 

 silence. Ere long the sky was glittering with stars, and 

 the moon rose slowly above the trees. Its pale light pene- 

 trated the foliage, giving to the masses of leaves those fan- 

 tastic shapes which make one dream of a supernatural 

 world. As the moon advanced higher, it diffused more 



