A YOUNG NATURALIST. 



395 



" Forward !" Lucien re-echoed. 



The great trees, which were now farther apart, allow r ed 

 the rays of the sun to penetrate the foliage, and the creepers 

 drooped down in flowery festoons. The convolvuluses, the 

 ferns, and the parasites, all entangled together, compelled us 

 to use our knives. A somewhat steep ascent, anxiously 

 scaled, led us up to a plateau. In front of us stretched 

 a prairie dotted over with thickets, and bordered with for- 

 ests of palm-trees, laurels, magnolias, and mahogany-trees, 

 from which sounded the songs of various birds, mingled 

 with the harsh cry of parrots. 



Panting, weary, and perfectly soaked w r ith perspiration, I 

 proposed to bivouac on the plateau. Indeed, the sun w^as 

 setting, and we had only just time to collect the wood we 

 required for the fire. This task finished, I went and sat 

 down with Lucien on the highest point we could find. The 

 mountains of the Terr e~ Temper ee showed against the hori- 

 zon, although we were already at least fifteen leagues from 

 them. We long looked down on the tree-tops of the forest 

 we had just crossed, and the uniformity of the dark-green 

 foliage had a most gloomy aspect ; and, while close round 

 us there were a number of birds fluttering about the trees, 

 none of the feathered tribe ventured into the solitudes we 

 had so lately traversed. 



" I can not catch a sight of either rivulet or stream," said 

 Lucien. 



" Courage !" replied Sumichrast, who had seated himself 

 by us. " The birds which are flying round us can not live 

 without drinking, and their large number shows that there 

 is plenty of water near." 



"Hiou! hiou! Chanito." 



" Ohe ! ohe !" replied Lucien, darting to the place whence 

 he heard the familiar cry. 



The two friends went down the hill together, TEncuerado 

 carrying his enormous gourd. 



