ay down close to the fire, and
almost singed his hair, showing that he too was suffering from the cold.

Fearing that the fire might go out, Uncle Richard insisted that one of
us should remain awake; and he himself undertook to keep the first
watch. We first took our supper, but I fell asleep with a piece of food
in my mouth. The training Uncle Richard had had at sea enabled him to
keep awake, although I dare say he was as sleepy as any of us.

He at last aroused me, and charged me not to let the fire get low. "I
can trust you better than I can Antonio or the guide," he observed.
"However strong may be your impulse to sleep, do not yield to it, as our
lives may depend on the fire being kept up."

I promised to keep a faithful watch, and, rising to my feet, began to
walk about. In a moment more Uncle Richard was fast asleep. So strong
was the desire I felt to lie down and close my eyes, that I was afraid
of stopping, and kept pacing up and down the hut, rubbing my hands
together, and every now and then putting on an additional stick, or
scraping up the ashes. The time passed slowly by; the wind moaned amid
the bleak crags which overtopped the hut, and I fancied I heard the
cries of wild beasts. The sleepers, overcome with fatigue, did not even
move, and as I gazed at them they looked as if stretched out in death.
Every now and then, however, Lion lifted up his head, as if to see that
all was right; and just as my watch was over, and I was about to call
Antonio, he got up and stretched himself. "Now, Lion, if Antonio drops
asleep, remember to call me or Uncle Richard. I will trust you, good
dog. You understand?" Lion wagged his tail, and gave a low bark; and I
felt confident that he would do as I had ordered him.

I then called Antonio, and gave him the same instructions and warning
which Uncle Richard had given me.

"Do not fear, senor," he answered--giving, however, an ominous yawn;
"I'll keep my eyes open."

Trusting more to Lion than Antonio, I lay down, and in a few seconds was
again fast asleep. How long I had remained in that state I could not
tell, when I heard Lion bark close to my ear, and felt him pulling at my
clothes. On sitting up, I saw that the fire had burned much lower than
it was when I gave up my watch, and that Antonio was asleep. I quickly
roused him up.

"It was but for a moment, senor; my eyelids are so very heavy."

"Look at the fire!" I exclaimed. "It must have been a very