n. On this day we had
to be satisfied with maize-cakes; but the hope of at length reaching the
woods cheered every one.

"One night more," said l'Encuerado and Sumichrast, "and then we shall
have rest and abundance."

The fourth day's march was much more wearisome, especially to poor
Lucien, who, still uncomplaining, yet commenced to limp dreadfully.

The day broke, and I again examined the horizon, but could see nothing
except the sky and grass.

"I am afraid we are not going the right way," I said to l'Encuerado.
"God grant we have not been walking at random for these three days."

The Indian stood up on his basket, and carefully examined the outline of
the mountains.

"We are in the right path," said he, positively; "the savannah is very
wide, that is all."

[Illustration: "Lucien began to repeat to the parrots the names of
Hortense and Emile."]

L'Encuerado's assurances only half convinced me. Lucien's feet were so
covered with blisters that he could scarcely put them to the ground.
Unexpectedly I discovered that he was weeping silently; so I took him up
in my arms, when he soon fell asleep.

In this emergency, l'Encuerado, with the straps and poles of our tent,
managed to make a kind of litter, upon which we placed the boy.
Sumichrast helped me to carry him, and though we had to stop hundreds of
times to rest our arms, still we accomplished several leagues. The day
had scarcely begun to dawn, when I again examined the horizon; alas!
nothing was changed, and the only things I saw were flocks of black
vultures, which are not generally regarded as a happy omen.

[Illustration]

Owing to an accident by which our reserve gourd was burst and the
contents spilt, we were tormented by thirst, and the only food we had to
eat only half restored our rapidly-failing strength. In another day all
our maize-cakes would be exhausted, and the rice was of no use without
water. Fatigue gradually dispelled these gloomy thoughts, and we fell
asleep.

I awoke about four o'clock in the afternoon, and was dismayed to find
that l'Encuerado had deserted us, accompanied by Gringalet.

Having passed a whole night in useless waiting, hoping for his
reappearing, we resolved to pursue our journey. So we put all the
baggage into one heap, and set Janet and Verdet at liberty, leaving them
the sack of rice, which we could not carry. Then, loaded with our guns
and gourds--alas! almost empty--we prepared to start on our journey
witho