mediately; but his voice sounded not from below, but from a
spot a little to my left. I could not stay my rapid course except by
grasping a tuft of brush-wood, to which I hung. Then, turning towards
the left, I soon encountered the Mistec, who had already begun to
collect his burden.

"Nothing broken?" I asked.

"No, Tatita; all the bottles are safe."

"It's your limbs that I mean, my poor fellow!"

"Oh! my nose and arms are a little scratched, and my body is rather
knocked about; but there's not a single rent either in my jacket or
breeches," added he, looking with complacency at the leathern garments
which had given him the name of l'Encuerado.

"Well, you have had a narrow escape."

"Oh! senor, God is good! In spite of the basket-work case, the bottles
might have been broken, and they are not the least hurt."

For my part, I was more inclined to recognize God's goodness in
l'Encuerado's almost miraculous preservation. As to the basket, the
Indian had tied it up so strongly, that I was not at all surprised to
find that our provisions were uninjured.

"Give a call-cry," said I to the Indian, "Sumichrast can not see us, and
may think that you are killed."

"Chanito, hiou, hiou, hiou, Chanito!"

"Ohe! ohe!" replied Lucien.

And the boy, looking pale and alarmed, almost immediately made his
appearance. He rushed up to his friend, threw his arms round his neck,
and embraced him. The brave Mistec, who had been but little injured by
his terrible descent, could not help weeping at this proof of Lucien's
attachment.

"It was nothing but a joke," he said. "You'll see me perform many a feat
like that."

"Your face is all over with blood!"

"That's a mere joke, too. Would you like me to do it again?"

"No, no!" cried the child, catching the Indian by the jacket.

I dressed l'Encuerado's hurts, and we were about to continue our
journey.

"I say," said Lucien, archly, just as the Indian was hoisting his basket
on to his back; "how would it have been if I had been perched on it?"

"Then I should not have fallen," replied l'Encuerado, with the utmost
gravity.

In a minute or two more we were at the foot of the mountain, when
Lucien, overjoyed that the descent was accomplished, gave a leap which
showed me that the back of his trowsers had suffered in the late
struggle.

"There's a pretty beginning!" I cried; "how did you manage to get your
trowsers in that state?"

"It is my fault," said Sumichrast, with c