r o'clock l'Encuerado called us to dinner, and by sunset we
started, home-bound, each with his allotted burden over his shoulder.
Sumichrast, with Lucien following, led the way.

"Well, Master Sunbeam, you are nearly as much lost in the stalks here as
you were in the forest. Are your boots well greased? We shall have many
days of hard walking."

"Where are all the wild cattle and horses?"

"Not far off, I hope! first, because they would guide us to the ponds
and the streams where they drink; and, secondly, we may need them to
furnish us with food."

"Then shall we find nothing to shoot here?"

"Nothing at all where the grass is so high as this; animals seldom
venture into the midst of these solitudes."

"And the birds?"

"They are never to be seen unless the grass grows close to the ground,
excepting birds of prey; and they, perhaps, are hovering over us now,
hoping we may become food for them."

For more than five hours we kept on without stopping. I then proposed a
halt. By lying down on the grass we at once found a soft bed, and Lucien
and the rest of us soon went to sleep. Before daylight l'Encuerado awoke
us, when, after taking our bearings, he undertook to be our guide. As
the first sunbeam appeared, we halted to form our camp and erect our
tent. We cleared a large space, and a hole in the ground served as a
fire-place. Our crayfish remained perfectly fresh, and while l'Encuerado
was broiling them, I and Sumichrast watched the direction of the flames,
as it was highly important for our safety that the savannah should not
be set on fire. The meal dispatched, and the fire extinguished, we
squatted down under the shadow of the grass, and resigned ourselves to
sleep.

I woke about midday, nearly roasted by the sun, which had now replaced
the shade. Calling my companions, so that they might change their
position, a new arrangement of our covering gave us more shelter, and
soon once more all were asleep; but in the short intervening time Lucien
began to repeat to the parrots the names of Hortense and Emile.

At midnight, l'Encuerado shouldered his load and took the lead. The
second night passed like the first, and we travelled at least eight
leagues.

Our third night was interrupted by five or six halts, but we plodded on
till dawn. At the first gleam of light, I examined the horizon; there
was nothing but bluish-looking mountains to the right, and in every
other direction only the gloomy and deserted plai