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"That's smoke," cried Lucien. "No, Chanito," replied l'Encuerado, "it is a tornado." Seeing a slender column of dust rising up to the clouds, I had, at first sight, formed the same idea as my son. It was, in fact, nothing but a whirlwind of dust, which disappeared soon afterwards. "There is no wind," observed Lucien; "how is it that the dust rises so high?"
"Oh no, Chanito, there will be dessert to-day," replied l'Encuerado. "Perhaps as good as the cook would provide at home; but, at any rate, it is sweet enough. Look at it!" The Indian girl brought a calabash full of water, and a cone of black sugar, weighing about half a pound. "What is that?" cried Lucien. "Panela," answered the Indian girl. "Poor man's sugar," interposed Sumichrast.
Why don't they grow in the plains, instead of making honest folks wear the flesh off their bones in a place which is quite difficult enough to traverse as it is?" "God makes them grow here," said the child. "Not at all, Chanito; God created them, but the devil has sown them on these mountains.
"They think it so very ridiculous?" interposed Sumichrast. "Yes, rather," replied the Indian; "but you must not mind it, Chanito; for, after all, it is not your fault." We and the young Indians now laughed in concert; and this incident led on to a long conversation between Sumichrast and me.
"Yes," I replied; "from the way in which you have shaken him, I should say he must have come out either through your mouth or ears." "Then it's your turn now, Chanito!" Lucien, delighted at having to execute this feat of skill, tried several times to keep his balance while standing on his head; but overcome by laughter, he was not able, so he fell, to rear himself up again.
We heard Sumichrast give a call, to which Lucien answered, and the disappointed hunter joined us. "What did you fire at?" he inquired of me. "At a fox, which I missed; were you chasing it?" "No; I caught sight of a doe and its fawn, but I could not get near them." "And where is l'Encuerado?" "He wanted to shoot some bird, so as not to come back quite empty-handed." "Chanito! Hiou! Hiou!
"It is the dew, Chanito; it is almost as abundant as the night dews in the Terre-Chaude." "Are not morning and night dews the same thing?" "Not exactly," I replied; "the morning dew is generally of a beneficial nature; but the Mexicans dread the other, which falls after sunset, and is said to be productive of fever." "But from whence does all this moisture come?"
Come this way, Chanito, but don't run or turn round. Do you see that tree that stands in front of us? Not so far that way that one we were just going to pass under. Look at the wonderful fruit it has on it!" "It is the puma!" exclaimed the boy. "That's pleasant!" muttered Sumichrast. "Then there are two pumas." "No, no, Tata Sumichrast, it is the same one. Aim between its eyes, Chanito; fire!"
"Come," he said, "you deserve to die like a warrior. You are the first of your race which ever ventured so close to my gun. Was it Chanito you wanted to devour?" "I think it much more probable that it wanted Gringalet; what a pity it is that we can't tame these beautiful cats!" "Cats!" repeated Lucien.
There was a whole tribe of monkeys frolicking about among the creepers. "Let us go and look at them more closely," said Lucien. "It is too late now, Chanito; they have just been drinking, and will soon go to sleep; but we shall eat some of them to-morrow and now our supper is waiting for us."
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