After lunching and engaging our steeds, with an intelligent guide, who answered to the euphonious name of "Poc," we left the greatly disappointed donkey women still making a terrible clamour, and started for the Cirque.

Our good guide Poc considered it was not to be borne any longer, so having counted the women and their asses, he cleared a space in preparation for a mock sale at which they were all to be put up, and having got us in front as make-believe purchasers, proceeded with the business, which we called "THE GUIDE'S AUCTION.

No Guides have a better reputation than those of Gavarnie, and of these Henri Passet and Celestin Passet have made all the great ascents of the French and Spanish Pyrenees; Pierre Pujo, Pierre Brioul, Poc, and Haurine are also men of experience in mountaineering.

[Illustration: The Kan-ga-roo a poc-ket wears, In which her lit-tle ones she bears.]