,
making his way through the molle trees. At length he reached the spot.
All asleep?--yes, all! "Are they dead?" thought Guapo, and his heart
beat with anxiety. Indeed, they seemed so. The fatigue of travel had
cast a sickly paleness over the faces of all, and one might easily have
fancied they no longer lived. But they breathed. "Yes, they breathe!"
ejaculated the old Indian, half aloud. "They live!" Guapo bent down,
and seizing Don Pablo by the arm, shook him--at first gently, uttering,
at the same time, some words to awake him. But neither the shaking nor
the voice had any effect. Guapo shook more violently, and shouted
louder. Still Don Pablo slept. None of the others moved--none of them
heard him. It was strange, for the Indian knew that Don Pablo himself,
as well as the others, were easily awaked on ordinary occasions. Guapo,
becoming alarmed, now raised his voice to its loudest pitch, at the same
time dragging Don Pablo's shoulder in a still more violent manner. This
had the desired effect. The sleeper awoke, but so slowly, and evidently
with such exertion, that there was something mysterious in it.

"What is it?" he inquired, with half-opened eyes. "Is it morning
already?"

"The sun is up. Rouse, my master! It is time we were on the road,"
replied the Indian.

"I feel very drowsy--I am heavy--I can scarce keep my eyes open. What
can be the cause of this?"

"The poison-trees, master," answered Guapo.

The answer seemed to impress Don Pablo. He made a violent effort, and
rose to his feet. When up he could scarcely stand. He felt as though
he had swallowed a powerful opiate.

"It must be so, good Guapo. Perhaps there is some truth in what you
have said. O, heavens!" exclaimed he, suddenly recollecting
himself,--"the others--my wife and children!"

This thought had fully awakened Don Pablo; and Guapo and he proceeded at
once to arouse the others, which they effected after much shouting and
shaking. All were still heavy with sleep, and felt as did Don Pablo
himself.

"Surely there is some narcotic power in the aroma of these trees,"
muttered Don Pablo. "Come, wife, let us be gone! We must remain under
its influence no longer, else what Guapo has said may prove too true.
Saddle up--we must eat our breakfasts farther on. To the road!--to the
road!"

Guapo soon had the horses ready, and all hurried from the spot, and were
once more climbing up the mountain-path. Even the animals