ncuerado was preparing the armadillo and the woodpecker, which
we were to have for dinner, we walked down the course of the stream, the
agreeable freshness of which was very pleasant to us. All at once Lucien
pointed out to me a basilisk sitting on a stone, the rays of the sun
setting off its bright shades--yellow, green, and red. This member of
the Iguana family, which bears no resemblance to the fabulous basilisk
of the Greeks, got up at our approach, puffed out its throat, and shook
the membranous crest on the top of its head. Its bright eye seemed to
scan the horizon; no doubt it caught sight of us, for its flaccid body
stiffened out, and with a rapid bound it sprang into the stream. The
reptile raised its chest in swimming, beating the water with its fore
paws as if with oars. We soon lost sight of it, to Lucien's great
sorrow, for he wanted to obtain a further inspection of it.

[Illustration: "The dog began to howl desperately."]

Gathering round the fire, we arranged our baggage, ready to start the
next morning. As there was still another hour's daylight, Lucien
remained with l'Encuerado, and I went with Sumichrast to reconnoitre the
route we intended to take.

The sun was setting, and we were slowly approaching our bivouac, when
Gringalet's whine met our ears. I hastened forward, for the dog began to
howl desperately. I reached the hut quite out of breath. Every thing
seemed right, but Lucien and l'Encuerado had disappeared. I looked
anxiously into my companion's face.

"No doubt," said Sumichrast, "l'Encuerado has gone to take a stroll, and
left the dog asleep."

I raised a call-cry. What was my surprise at hearing it answered from up
above us. My son and the Indian were sitting thirty feet from the
ground, hidden in the foliage of a gigantic tree. My first impulse was
to address l'Encuerado rather angrily.

"Don't flurry him," said Sumichrast; "he'll need all his presence of
mind to get the boy down safely."

With an anxiety which may be easily understood, I watched all the
movements of the lad, who was every now and then concealed by the
leaves.

"Gently," cried l'Encuerado; "put your foot there. Well done! Now lay
hold of this branch and slide down. Don't be afraid; I'll not let you
go. How pleased and proud your papa will be when he knows how high you
have climbed!"

The Indian was wrong; I was neither pleased nor proud. The trunk of the
tree was five or six feet in circumference; the first bran