of 



horizontally afar. Out of scores of experiences 

 in rain-drenched passes I have record of but two 

 thunderbolts. Both of these were heavy. In all 

 these instances the thunderbolt descended at a 

 time when the storm-cloud was a few hundred 

 feet above the place struck. 



During the greater number of high-altitude 

 storms the cloud is in contact with the surface 

 or but little removed from it. Never have I 

 known the lightning to strike when the clouds 

 were close to the surface or touching it. It is, 

 however, common, during times of low-drag- 

 ging clouds, for the surface air to be heavily 

 charged with electrical fluid. This often is 

 accompanied with strange effects. Prominent 

 among these is a low pulsating hum or an inter- 

 mittent buz-z-z-z, with now and then a sharp 

 zit-zit! Sometimes accompanying, at other times 

 only briefly breaking in, are subdued camp-fire 

 cracklings and roarings. Falling snowflakes, 

 during these times, are occasionally briefly 

 luminous, like fireflies, the instant they touch 

 the earth. Hair-pulling is the commonest effect 

 that people experience in these sizzling electrical 



86 



