258 THE TROUT ARE RISING 



in the " tassel-time of Spring." You may see the 

 Drakensberg, with its Giant's Castle and its 

 Champagne Castle. At set of sun the tips of the 

 mountain heights are as molten gold, while the 

 'Berg otherwise is a calm, soft blue ; right under- 

 neath by way of contrast, is a patch of veld 

 transformed to a dull black by fire-guards (grass 

 burnt in order to prevent accidental fires spread- 

 ing), while in another direction fire-guards 

 themselves, serpent-like tracts of golden flame, 

 are ablaze. Blue smoke ascends from a farmstead 

 here and there, and all around cattle browse. It is 

 indeed a pastoral picture oversea. 



The miracle of spring brings out the willows 

 in a dress of freshest, daintiest green, all the 

 more attractive because the veld generally has 

 not yet wholly lost its sun-scorched appearance. 

 Herons, kingfishers, and an occasional brace of 

 wild duck are to be seen. Once, at the darken- 

 ing, of short duration in South Africa, an otter 

 was disturbed ; he made off, then suddenly 

 stopped in shallow water, turned round and 

 issued a challenge, as it were, like a great cat 

 spitting out its anger. Towards the end of that 

 August snow fell heavily. Then the peach trees, 

 already advanced in pink blossom, became 

 powdered with white. 



