P'ARIA'S
150
a
doubtful spluttering, took
little
sently
were
INGENUITY.
—
was the
this
laid on.
critical
For a time
fire,
moment
my
and pre-
—the
sticks
worst fears seemed
about to be realised, the sticks only smoked viciously, the
matches had long burned away, and
now began
the twigs
to
I'Aria did not give
old
But
glow doubtfully. in
without a struggle.
Kneeling down he tried gently to fan the fading
glow with watched it
his breath.
it,
it
seemed
became reduced
conquered
at
began
blaze,
to
good blazing his
tent,
At
to a single spark.
last
;
lent
anxiously
But patience
the glow spread, the
sticks
and before long there was a
fire,
which brought every one from
especially as, meantime, the still
rain
had
hung over every-
making the darkness of the night
intense. coffee,
we
to gain strength, at others
ceased, though a thick mist thing,
times, as
Kettles were put on to
boil,
still
more
mate, tea,
imbibed, and Francisco prepared an excel-
ostrich-fry,
ct
la
minute, discussing which,
blessings were invoked on I'Aria's head,
perseverance these comforts being due.
—
to his
Supper
we groped our way back to our tents, and, enveloped in a dense damp mist, went to sleep, over,
not at
all satisfied
with the inhospitable greeting
the Cordilleras had vouchsafed us.