waist high and then laid low, their silvery tops dipped, 

 hidden, and drowned in the flood ; the trees yielding, 

 and the branches snapping like matches and twirling 

 like feathers down the stream ; the rumbling thunder 

 of big boulders loosed and tumbled, rolled like marbles 

 on the rocks below ; whole trees brought down, and 

 turning helplessly in the flood drowned giants with 

 their branches swinging slowly over like nerveless arms. 

 It was tremendous ; and one had to stay and watch. 



Then the waves ceased ; and behind the opposite bank 

 another stream began to make its way, winding like 

 a huge snake, spreading wider as it went across the flats 

 beyond, until the two rejoined and the river became 

 one again. The roar of waters gradually lessened ; 

 the two cataracts beside me were silent ; and looking 

 down I saw that the fall was gone and that water ran to 

 water swift as ever, but voiceless now and was lost 

 in the river itself. Inch by inch the water rose towards 

 my feet ; tufts of grass trembled, wavered, and went 

 down ; little wavelets flipped and licked like tongues 

 against the remaining bank of soft earth below me ; 

 piece after piece of it leant gently forward, and toppled 

 headlong in the eager creeping tide ; deltas of yellow 

 scum-flecked water worked silently up the dongas, 

 reaching out with stealthy feelers to enclose the place 

 where I was standing ; and then it was time to go ! 

 ***** 



The cattle had turned their tails to the storm, and 

 stood it out. They too were washed clean and looked 

 fresher and brighter ; but there was nothing in that ! 

 Two of them had been seen by the boys moving slowly, 



428 



