more, as we had an abundance of food, so we all set to work
to repair our wardrobes. Our shoes first required our attention, and
Sumichrast constituted himself head-cobbler. L'Encuerado's sandals gave
him a great advantage over us; for all he required was a sole and a
leathern strap, and then he was well shod. But, unfortunately, the
delicacy of our skin several times afforded Sumichrast cause for regret
that he had not been born an Indian.

L'Encuerado, full of ingenuity, managed to fix some pieces of fox-skin
on some old soles, and made for Lucien a pair of buskins as strong as
they were inelegant. He promised to make us some like them, and
Sumichrast, who succeeded only tolerably well in his cobbling, nominated
the Indian "sandal-maker in ordinary and extraordinary to our
majesties."

The next morning at daybreak we entered a narrow gorge in which it was
impossible for us to walk abreast. The whole morning was spent in
travelling along between two stone ramparts, hung with mosses, ferns,
and orchids. The moist soil rendered the temperature round us
sufficiently cool and agreeable; but the pass was so filled up with the
trunks of fallen trees as to render our progress very laborious.

The gorge extended to such a length that I began to be anxious about it,
and to fear lest we had entered into a _cul-de-sac_. The perpendicular
walls rendered any deviation in our path impossible; above us, the trees
crossed their branches and almost hid the sky. No bird enlivened the
solitude with its song, and ferns were so abundant that it seemed as if
we had lighted upon some corner of the primitive world; as if to render
the resemblance more complete, the reptiles scarcely fled at our
approach, and obliged us to use the greatest care.

Cutlass in hand, Lucien climbed nimbly over the fallen trees which
barred our progress. Ere long our feet sank into a quantity of liquid
mud, and I discovered a slender streamlet of limpid water oozing out
between two rocks. The pass between the rocks became narrower and
narrower, and if a wild beast had then met us we should have had to
dispute the path with it. As a rencontre of this kind was by no means
impossible, Lucien, to his displeasure, was ordered to follow in rear.

The way now widened a little, and became more clear of impediments, and
our little column advanced with rather more rapidity. We walked along
silently between these stern and imposing granite walls, with the
constant hope