image of his fatherland.

A labyrinth of rocks brought us out in front of a stony rampart more
than a hundred feet in height, and almost perpendicular. This unexpected
obstacle brought us to a halt. How should we make our way over it? Upon
examining the spot, we decided to incline towards the left, which seemed
to us the most accessible road. In parts the wall diminished in height,
but we tried in vain to climb it. A more successful attempt, however,
brought us nearly to the top, but not without great fatigue, for
sometimes the rock appeared to hang over us. At length, by climbing on
to Sumichrast's shoulders, I managed to reach the flat surface above. I
hoisted up Lucien here with the lasso; next I drew up Gringalet, who was
only too pleased to submit to the operation, and lastly Sumichrast and
l'Encuerado. The terrible obstacle was at last overcome; beyond it the
ground was, comparatively speaking, level, but covered with stones of a
volcanic nature.

We still kept on our way, although it was four o'clock, in the hope of
finding some tree at the foot of which we could make our bivouac.
L'Encuerado put down his load to climb up a needle-shaped rock, the
extraordinary position of which reminded us of the celebrated leaning
tower of Pisa. When he had reached its top, the Indian called out to us
that he could see a clump of trees. The cold began to inconvenience us
and we wanted wood to make our fire, so, plucking up fresh courage, we
continued our journey. The distance now traversed was inconsiderable;
but the ups and downs and circuits had quite wearied us. Gradually the
rocks decreased in size, and were more widely spread; a plain slightly
depressed in the centre, dotted here and there with thinly growing
thickets, was reached. In the background there was a clump of firs and a
glittering lake, quite a liquid oasis hidden in a desert.

[Illustration: "Sunset surprised us ere we had finished our labor."]

It now became highly necessary for us to seek shelter, for our teeth
were chattering with the cold. L'Encuerado, having climbed a tree, cut
down the wood that was necessary for the construction of a hut; while
Lucien broke all the dry branches off, a task in which I helped him.
Sunset surprised us ere we had finished our labor. The waters of the
lake assumed a dark hue, and the mountain peaks towards the setting sun
furrowed the sky with their strangely irregular outlines, and the breeze
resounding through the pine-t