THE KINGDOM OF UGAXDA 121 



dwelling and porters escape (as of course they do in the great percentage 

 of cases, or life in these regions would be impossible), vou will almost 

 certainly see a tree struck or somebody else's ridge-pole go down. Tall 

 trees, however, are the most frequent victims, and reallv serve as lightning 

 conductors, screening the human being by receiving the worst of the 

 electric fluid. These terrible flaming swords of fire reveal to vou the grey 

 wall of water by which you are surrounded. Gradually they become less 

 vehement, and are accompanied after much greater intervals of time by 

 rumbles of thunder more bearable than the artillery crashes which first 

 accompanied the forked lightning. It occurs sometimes, however, that 

 when you think the storm is over and done with and are about to return 

 to your bed, tliankful to have escaped on this occasion with your life, a 

 fresh storm comes up, or rather the old one returns in its circular course, 

 and there is a renewal of your agonies of apprehension. 



