152 LODGES IN THE WILDERNESS 



crush us, that the stars of the zenith looked 

 down. 



It was deep in the night, but the heat still 

 raged, for the sides of the glowing rock-pit in 

 which we lay continued to radiate what energy 

 they had absorbed while the sun still smote on 

 them. We had emerged from among the trees 

 and built a large fire of drift-wood on a sand- 

 bank, — our object being to obtain illumination. 

 It was quite necessary to have a bright light; 

 from many of the logs poisonous centipedes, 

 and an occasional scorpion, were emerging. 

 But even comparatively close to the fire we 

 could feel no increase of heat. My gun stood 

 against a stone some distance away. I picked 

 the weapon up, but involuntarily dropped it, for 

 the barrel almost scorched my hand. And this 

 at nearly midnight ! 



But what were those creatures darting here 

 and there; anon rushing towards us over the 

 livid surface of the sand? Horror. They 

 were tarantulas, — red, hairy creatures, larger 

 than mice. Within a few seconds there were 

 hundreds of them circling around the fire with 

 almost incredible swiftness. The firelight had 

 attracted them from the cliff-chasms which 

 yawned around us. 



This was too much for flesh and blood to 



