OUR JOURNEY CONTINUED--BEAUTIFUL SCENERY--PREPARING TO CROSS THE PARAMO--DESCRIPTION OF A PARAMO--COMMENCE THE PASSAGE--SKELETONS OF MEN AND MULES--INTENSITY OF THE COLD--ANTONIO SUFFERS GREATLY--HE RECOVERS BY DRINKING A DRAUGHT OF COLD WATER--DARKNESS--OUR SUFFERINGS ON THE INCREASE--A STRONG INCLINATION TO SLEEP--I SINK TO THE GROUND--LION AROUSES ME--WE REACH THE TAMBO--A NIGHT IN THE HUT--INTENSE COLD-- DAYLIGHT AT LAST--OUR PASSAGE ACROSS THE PARAMO--SAD SIGHTS--THE DESCENT OF THE MOUNTAINS--REACHING A FOREST--PADILLO GOES OFF TO OBTAIN INTELLIGENCE--WE BUILD A HUT, AND GO TO SLEEP--OUR HUT ON FIRE--A NARROW ESCAPE. For several days we had been travelling westward over the mountains. The young Indian, Padillo, as he called himself, had proved a faithful guide. If we were pursued, we had evaded our enemies, and, we hoped, had done so effectually. The scenery through which we passed was extremely wild and grand. Round us appeared mountains piled on mountains, rocks heaped on rocks; and when we fancied that we had reached the summit of an elevation whence we could look down below, another mountain, more grand and terrific, appeared through the veil of mist which before had shrouded it from our sight. It seemed as if we should never escape from this chaos of rocky pinnacles and snow-covered heights. The sky above us was of a clear, bright blue; in some places beautifully streaked, and varied with a silvery hue or pale straw colour, but not a cloud dimming its lustre. Severe as was the cold, as we were in constant exercise we scarcely felt it; while the rarity of the air imparted wonderful lightness and elasticity to our frames, so that sometimes I could scarcely help leaping and bounding forward. At night we generally found shelter in a cave or under an overhanging rock--always keeping up a blazing fire, to scare wild beasts, as well as to afford us warmth. At last we reached the entrance of a gloomy valley, between lofty and snow-topped mountains, their sides in some places almost perpendicular. "We must be prepared to push rapidly across the Paramo," observed Padillo. "It is late in the year, and I do not altogether like the look of the weather. We shall require two days at least to get to the further end. Frequently three days are occupied by persons on horseback, but you march so quickly that we may do it in less time; and there is a tambo about midway where we can obtain shelter." "Cross it we must, at all risks," answered Uncle Richard, who was especially eager to get back to the neighbourhood of Popayan, to ascertain how his family were faring. He intended also to try and raise a corps.