* 



A YOUNG NATURALIST, 437 



out my plan. I was convinced there were woods and flocks 

 not far ahead of us, and as I feared not the sun for myself, 

 I started as soon as you were all fast asleep, having forti- 

 fied myself for the journey with a drop of the cognac. I 

 often longed, as I proceeded, to lie down and rest, but then 

 I thought of Chanito, and ran on faster than ever. With- 

 out knowing why, I stumbled, and I think I must have fall- 

 en asleep. When I opened my eyes the sun was set, and 

 Gringalet was licking me with his tongue. I got up, stu- 

 pefied as I was, and ran forward, without halting, to the 

 verge of a wood. I dashed in among the trees, and in less 

 than a quarter of an hour I came upon a great lake, and 

 horses and buffaloes running wild. My strength, however, 

 began to fail, and it took me more than four hours to catch 

 this mustang," continued the Indian, looking down on his 

 steed, " but I soon made him know his master was on his 

 back." 



Having returned to our bivouac to recover our treasures, 

 we resolved to start immediately, as the sky was obscured 

 by clouds. 



Next day PEncuerado set to work to provide us all with 

 horses. Having prepared a lasso, the agile Indian darted 

 off at full gallop towards a drove which were grazing some 

 distance off; and by night had captured five of their num- 

 ber. Two days, however, were spent in breaking our 

 mounts and rendering them docile ; but as our stores were 

 visibly diminishing, and we were considerably freshened 

 up, it became highly necessary for us to start. 



Next morning our little cavalcade crossed the plains and 

 woods almost at a gallop. The blue mountains in front 

 looked higher and higher, and the outlines of the volcano 

 grew more defined. 



The second day of our march we had to cross some mud- 

 dy marshes, in which our horses mired up to their bellies. 



