THE STORM. 7 



ness which crept up, blotting out the sky. In the 

 middle was a surging, rolling, tumbling mass, from 

 the centre of which flashes of lightning shot forth. 

 The air, which al] day and night had been hot almost 

 to suffocation, grew chill. A great calm filled the 

 whole breadth of the plain. A hush was on earth 

 and sky. 



Then the appalling silence was broken. The huge 

 black wave was cut by the vivid lightning, and the 

 earth seemed shaken by the terrible battle of the ele- 

 ments. The muttering thunder increased in tone and 

 volume until all space was filled with the sound. 

 Bellowing, roaring, and crashing it came on, the 

 clouds covering the sky and casting a mantle of 

 blackness over the land that was only broken by the 

 constant flashing of the lightning. The storm burst 

 upon the camp, and with one mighty sweep almost 

 tore the tent from its fastenings. Snow caught one 

 end and Dyche the other, and throwing themselves 

 flat on the ground, they held the cloth close and 

 prevented the wind from getting under. The force 

 of the wind crushed the tent to the earth, broke 

 the poles, and threw the whole party flat. Then 

 the very flood-gates of heaven seemed to be opened, 

 and torrents of water came down. The tent was at 

 the foot of a knoll, and down this the water swept, 

 covering everything with drift, rubbish, and mud. 

 Dry ravines became torrents, and the heavens seemed 

 to send down rivers. For two long hours the storm 

 raged, and then the turmoil ceased. 



Cold and wet, the jolly crowd of yesterday lay 

 almost perishing in the mud which flowed through 

 2 



