ng naturalist again tested the delicate
sensibility of the plant, which Sumichrast told him was allied to the
tree which produces gum-arabic.

L'Encuerado's cheek was less swollen, and Sumichrast could use his hand,
although it still pained him. The mountain in front of us, which was too
steep to climb, caused us some perplexity.

"Let us slant off to the left, over this moist ground, carpeted with
turf," said Sumichrast, plunging into the thicket.

About midday, just as l'Encuerado was declaring, in a grumbling tone,
that we ought to have inclined towards the right, our little troop
entered the wood. An undulating slope led us to a summit not more than
twenty yards across, and in less than half an hour the opposite descent
brought us into a delicious glen.

"Hallo! Master 'Sunbeam,'" cried Sumichrast, while helping me to
construct our hut, "don't you recollect you are the one to provide the
fire?"

"All right," replied Lucien, who seemed to be lost in the contemplation
of a dead branch; "I want to get hold of an insect which appears to be
making, like us, natural-history collections, for I have just found in
its nest a quantity of spiders, flies, and small worms."

"It is one of the _Hymenoptera_," said Sumichrast; "it collects all
round its eggs the food the young will eat when they are hatched; the
insect is therefore full of forethought--a good example for us to
imitate."

When the fire was ready, we started off in light marching order to
explore the vicinity of our bivouac. Our position was commanded by
mountains on all sides, and the glen was scarcely a quarter of a league
in length. The pleasant coolness, and the presence of numerous birds,
led us to hope that we should meet with a spring, which was all that was
needed to convert this remote corner of the world into a perfect
paradise. But our exploring only led to the discovery of a greenish
pool, sheltered by an enormous rock, and which the dry season would soon
evaporate.

Gringalet's barking attracted our attention towards the forest, and I
perceived a porcupine on a tree. The animal, sitting up on its hind
feet, was looking at us with astonishment. Leaving it undisturbed, it
appeared to forget us, and tearing off with its claws a piece of bark,
it licked the inner side, which was doubtless covered with insects.
Having repeated this operation several times, the animal advanced to the
end of a branch, and seizing it with its prehensile tail, let itse