"Yes," I replied; "it seems as if the yellow leaves had already felt the autumnal winds."
"There's a dead tree," said my friend; "I feel sure, if we examine its bark, we shall find some insects of our own country."
My friend's hopes were not realized, and the only result of his search was to disturb the rest of two mice with slender muzzles. One of them escaped, while the other tried its best to protect a litter of five little ones, buried in some fine vegetable débris. Lucien examined the young ones with interest, and after replacing the bark, as far as possible, in its original position, rejoined us outside the wood. A descent so rapid that we could scarcely keep our balance brought us among a quantity of bushes covered with double thorns, which Lucien very justly compared to bulls' horns in miniature. At last the ground became more level, and, directing our course to the right, we turned into a plain, surrounded by woods.
"Both trees and plants seem larger here than on the mountains," said Lucien.
"You are quite right," answered Sumichrast; "the vegetation in the Terre-Chaude is more vigorous than that of the Terre-Tempérée. As you advance farther into it, you will be able to judge."
"Did you see that great insect that flew buzzing past us?"
"Yes, Master Sunbeam; but it was a humming-bird, not an insect."
"A humming-bird!" cried the boy, at once unfolding his butterfly-net.
And off he went in pursuit of the fugitive. The agile bird made a thousand turns, and always kept out of reach of the young sportsman, who at last stopped suddenly in front of a shrub. When I joined him, he was contemplating three little nests, fixed in forked branches, and covered outside with green and yellow lichens.
"There's the bird!" said Lucien, in a low voice.