A NIGHT OF TERRORS 



the top of the bank to the water. A huge tree which 

 had fallen across it furnished us with a convenient 

 bridge, a matter of no little importance. 



We soon found that the discomforts of that day 

 were by no means over. Shortly after sundown rain 

 began to fall, the precursor of a real tropical thunder- 

 storm, one of those which must be experienced in 

 order to be understood. People who have never been 

 through such a storm cannot really gather from a 

 mere description what it is like — ^the appalling 

 thunder, the even more appalling flashes of lightning, 

 flashes which seem to run almost into a continuous 

 blaze, the sheets of rain driven by a hurricane-like 

 wind. 



That night all round us we could hear tree after 

 tree crashing down ; when there was a momentary 

 lull every animal in the jungle seemed to be screaming 

 with terror. 



One little episode which occurred that night amused 

 me considerably. Just before turning in to bed I 

 happened to notice a large centipede crawling within 

 a few inches of Clarke, who with voice and accordion, 

 quite in the style of Captain Kettle, had been doing 

 his best to cheer us up. I pointed to the insect, 

 expecting to see my companion jump off" his bed — 

 he was lying on his back ; instead, however, he calmly 

 killed the pest without rising and then, as though nothing 

 had happened, went on grinding out from his accordion 



21 



