KNOCKED .INSENSIBLE BY LIGHTNING. 189 
crack!— Bang! Two light spots before my eyes, a split- 
ting pain darting through my head that seemed to crack 
my skull in two, and all was over. I do not know how 
long the interval was, but after a time I began to be aware 
of my existence, and found that I could actually move my 
head, and open my eyes and look about me. What was 
the situation? I commenced gradually and anxiously to 
ask myself, as I felt a tingling and weakness in all my 
nerves. 
There was my rifle lying ten feet in front of me, and I 
was prostrate on the ground. I had actually been knocked 
senseless by a passing flash of lightning, and now I| was 
awakening to the fact that I was not in the least hurt, — 
only flattened out in the most sudden and ignominious 
fashion, with my face in a mudpuddle. Where was 
Karsha? I turned my head, and there he was, flat on 
his face, with hands outstretched in the same direction as 
myself. I called several times to him before he finally 
lifted up his head. Somehow I could not resist laughing 
aloud, his face wore such a pitiable expression. My laugh- 
ing aroused him, and gave him some idea of his being 
alive. But now came forth such a pitiable flow of “ Alis!” 
“Mahomets!” and frantic prayers, that I was on my feet in 
a moment, forgetting my narrow escape from death in the 
amusement Karsha caused me. I patted him laughingly on 
the back as he gradually came to life, and then got him to 
pick up his gun and start off with me once more. Now 
the serious part of the affair came up before me, and I 
could not throw off a peculiar nervous, weak feeling. I 
had a headache, — of that there was no doubt; and the same 
elements that had just shown me how small I was were 
still raging about me. There were the gazelles, where I 
had last seen them, barely visible, a hundred and _ fifty 
yards away. 
