ke a swarm of ants."

"Exactly; but look at them through the telescope."

Availing himself of the glass, which he used rather unskillfully, Lucien
raised a sudden cry.

"I see them! I see them!" he exclaimed. "How pretty they are! They are
running about and crowding together, in front of a little boy who is
driving them."

"It is most likely a man, who is diminished by the distance."

"The idea of men of that size!"

"Well, look at the foot of that wooded hill; the thin line which you
might easily take for a mere pathway is the main road. Perhaps you may
see an Indian family travelling along it."

[Illustration: "The basket and its bearer chased one another down the
hill."]

Lucien kept shifting his telescope about for some minutes without
descrying any thing; but at last he broke out in a fresh exclamation.

"Have you discovered any men?" I asked.

"Oh yes!--men, horses, and mules; but they are regular Lilliputians."

"You are quite right," said Sumichrast; "how do we know that Dr. Swift
did not first form his idea of 'Gulliver's Travels' from looking at the
world from the top of a high mountain?"

After a time, I was obliged to take the young observer away from this
point for contemplation to proceed on our journey. The ridge of the
mountain was soon crossed, and we began to descend the other side. I
took Lucien by the hand, for the slope was so steep that it needed the
utmost care to avoid rolling down over the naked rocks. Several times I
slipped, and scratched my legs among the bushes. Sumichrast, who had
taken his turn in looking after the boy, was no better off than myself.
The descent was so steep that we were often forced to run, and sometimes
the only thing possible to retard our impetus was to fall down, and run
the risk of being hurt. Therefore, in spite of Lucien's promise to walk
prudently and with measured step, I declined to allow him to go alone.
We at last, to our great satisfaction, got over about two-thirds without
any accident, when l'Encuerado, losing his equilibrium, fell, turning
head over heels several times; the basket and its bearer chasing one
another down the hill, finally disappearing into a thicket.

"Look after Lucien," I said to my companion, who was a few paces in
front. And I dashed forward anxiously to assist l'Encuerado.

I feared that I should find the unfortunate Indian with some of his
bones broken, even if not killed; so I called to him, when he replied
almost im