using cufon with jquery s3slider

I managed to integrate a slider but now I’m wondering how to use cufons for the_excerpt

in header I have

<script type="text/javascript">
$(document).ready(function() {
   $('#s3slider').s3Slider({
      timeOut: 4000
   });
});
</script>

and in the page template where the file appears,

<div id="s3slider">
<ul id="s3sliderContent">
<?php query_posts('showposts=5&cat=4');?>
		<?php while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>
      <li class="s3sliderImage">
          <?php $values = get_post_custom_values("gallery_image");?>
          <span><h1><?php the_excerpt(); ?></h1></span>
      </li>
<?php endwhile; else: ?>
</ul>
<p><strong>There has been a glitch in the Matrix.</strong>
<br />
  There is nothing to see here.</p>
  <p>Please try somewhere else.</p>
 <?php endif; ?>
</div>

I tried giving #s3slider span a cufon.replace but then no text appears.
then I replaced h1 with cufin and wrapped the excerpt in it as seen above. again, nothing appears.

Is there something I’m doing wrong?