fifty and a hundred and eighty feet high. Thousands and
millions of convolvoluses, paulinias, bignonias, dendrobiums, climbing
from the fern to the tree trunks, from the trunks to the branches and
summits of the trees, and thence again falling gracefully down, and
catching and clinging to the mangroves and blocks of granite. It burst
upon us like a scene of enchantment, as we emerged from the darkness
of the forest into the dazzling light and colouring of that glorious
valley.

"_Misericordia, misericordia! Audi nos peccadores! Misericordia, las
aquas!_" suddenly screamed and exclaimed the Mexicans in various
intonations of terror and despair. We looked around us. What can be
the matter? We see nothing. Nothing, except that from just behind
those two mountains, which project like mighty promontories into the
valley, a cloud is beginning to rise. "What is it? What is wrong?" A
dozen voices answered us--

"_Por la Santa Virgen_, for the holy Virgin's sake, on, on! _No hay
tiempo para hablar_. We have still two leagues to go, and in one hour
comes the flood."

And they recommenced their howling, yelling chorus of "_Misericordia!
Audi nos peccadores!_" and "_Santissima Virgen_, and _Todos santos y
angeles!_"

"Are the fellows mad?" shouted Rowley, "What if the water does come?
It won't swallow you. A ducking more or less is no such great matter.
You are not made of sugar or salt. Many's the drenching I've had in
the States, and none the worse for it. Yet our rains are no child's
play neither."

On looking round us, however, we were involuntarily struck with the
sudden change in the appearance of the heavens. The usual golden black
blue colour of the sky was gone, and had been replaced by a dull
gloomy grey. The quality of the air appeared also to have changed; it
was neither very warm nor very cold, but it had lost its lightness and
elasticity, and seemed to oppress and weigh us down. Presently we saw
the dark cloud rise gradually from behind the hills, completely
clearing their summits, and then sweeping along until it hung over the
valley, in form and appearance like some monstrous night-moth, resting
the tips of its enormous wings on the mountains on either side. To our
right we still saw the roofs and walls of Quidricovi, apparently at a
very short distance.

"Why not go to Quidricovi?" shouted I to the guides, "we cannot be far
off."

"More than five leagues," answered the men, shaking their heads and
looki