394 



THE ADVENTURES OF 



peree and the Terre- Chaude, renders these regions inaccess- 

 ible to the inhabitants of the Terre-Froide. They can not 

 get accustomed to their bites, which cover their bodies with 

 large red pustules, causing fever and want of sleep, and giv- 

 ing the victims the appearance of having just recovered 

 from small-pox." 



Again we walked on without talking, for the heat dried 

 up our throats. Suddenly some singular cries reached our 

 ears. 



" The clucking of an oscillated turkey !" cried Sumichrast. 



L'Encuerado laid down his burden, and my two compan- 

 ions started off in search of the birds. They joined us 

 again in about a quarter of an hour, each carrying a fowl 

 with metallic-colored plumage dotted over with spots, al- 

 most as large as a common turkey. It belongs to the gal- 

 linaceous order, and is only found amidst the forests of the 

 New World, particularly in Honduras. 



" Well !" cried Sumichrast, " we have plenty to eat now; 

 but this is a bird which is found at a long distance from 

 streams, and warns us to economize the contents of our 

 gourds." 



Five hundred paces farther on we saw some stones cov- 

 ered with moss, and an enormous upright rock like a tower. 

 We saluted the colossus without stopping to examine it, 

 and lengthened our strides, although the ups and downs in 

 our path gradually became more numerous. Gringalet ev- 

 ery instant raised his nose to sniff the air, and the hope of 

 at last emerging from the forest drew us forward with in- 

 creased ardor, impelled, as we were, by the desire of at last 

 finding the longed-for stream. Lucien actually mustered 

 up a run, while his cheeks flushed and his eyes glistened 

 with anticipation. 



" Here are grass and flowers ! Forward I forward !" 

 cried Sumichrast. 



