ed!" said Lucien to me.

"So we all are, my poor boy; but we must pluck up our spirits again, and
keep on walking, for our lives depend on it."

"Father, I am so thirsty! and the water left in my gourd is quite warm."

"It will be better for you not to drink; for a few draughts of water
taken when walking increase perspiration, and make the thirst worse,
instead of quenching it."

The poor little fellow heaved a sigh, and crept closer to my friend, who
advised him to place in his mouth a small pebble, which alleviates
thirst by exciting salivation.

In spite of all our exertions, we made little or no advance, and a
profuse perspiration added to our exhaustion. Fortunately, every thing
seemed to indicate that the tempest was over. L'Encuerado led the way;
his manner appeared as if searching for something. At length I saw him
throw down his load and plunge into the thicket. Soon he reappeared,
with his hands full of a kind of mulberry, the fruit of the
sarsaparilla, the acid flavor of which much revived Lucien. We now
understood l'Encuerado's peculiar way of walking. He fancied he had
noticed a young shoot of this plant, and at first concealed the
discovery from us, fearing some deception. I can hardly describe the
pleasure that was afforded us by obtaining these berries in such a
welcome time. This shrub, with its vine-like and thorny stalk, abounded
on the steep slope.

We resumed our march in much better spirits, thanks to this God-send.
L'Encuerado filled his cap with them, and walked on bravely, with his
head bare. Another half-hour's climbing brought us to the verge of the
forest. Suddenly I lost sight of Gringalet. I called him several times,
and at last he emerged from a clump of shrubs, with his tail and muzzle
wet. Sumichrast rushed in search of the water, and soon cried out to us
in a joyous voice--

"A spring! a spring!"

We all tried who could get to it first. Under the foliage of
sarsaparilla our companion was kneeling down and catching in his hands a
little streamlet of limpid water, which was trickling from between two
rocks. With keen enjoyment, he was sprinkling it over his face and arms,
an example each of us soon imitated. At last I hurried our party away,
for the horrible roaring of the hurricane still seemed to din in my
ears, and as yet we had no shelter within our reach. After having filled
our gourds, we recommenced our climbing, enlivened by l'Encuerado, who
kept on congratulating Gring