Jungle By- Ways in India 



the sky was overcast. I looked hurriedly up. 

 Could anything be more aggravating ! Here was 

 the cup almost, if not quite, at my lips, and yet 

 it seemed as if it was to be dashed away at the 

 moment of seeming success. 



Kuilibrum was hidden in the darkest and most 

 threatening storm-cloud I had looked upon. All 

 the horizon behind me was a deep, gloomy, slate 

 colour ; and as I looked a blaze of fire flashed 

 athwart the dark glowering mass, and the artillery 

 of heaven opened in a deep-toned roar, which 

 echoed and re-echoed amongst the hills until the 

 whole earth seemed to be quivering and respond- 

 ing to the vibrations. Twas magnificent, but to 

 me, on the verge of seeing, and as I hoped of 

 bagging, my first bison, it appeared the cruellest 

 luck. It was only too obvious that the flood-gates 

 would soon open upon us, and then good-bye to 

 our chance of seeing the bison. My fears were 

 soon realized. A spot containing about a pint of 

 water fell on my nose, a second containing about 

 a quart, and the sluices of heaven were opened. 

 I was wet through in the first minute. ' We talk 

 about rain at home/ I muttered. ' We only have 

 fine mist there/ We plodded along on the tracks, 

 as I was determined to stick to them as long as 

 possible ; but after half an hour, by which time 

 the waterspouts lessened a little, we had to give 

 it up. We were on the side of another stony 

 hill, and tracking was hopeless with water pour- 



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