WILD LIFE ACROSS THE WORLD 



everything ready, so that we could start trekking over 

 the mountains at once, but to my intense disgust this 

 was far from being the case. 



There were only half the number of porters or 

 carriers necessary, no cook boy, and a distinct shortage 

 of provisions. In the end these difficulties led to 

 a delay of two days. On the morning following my 

 arrival I went through the packages carefully, made 

 a list of all that was lacking, and then tried the local 

 stores to see what I could buy there. The weather 

 was lovely up to about two o'clock, but after that 

 there was a rapid and unpleasant change. Black 

 and threatening clouds began to gather. Suddenly the 

 storm burst, and it seemed determined to show us 

 what it really could accomplish. The rain came 

 down in sheets. Nothing could withstand it. It drove 

 through everything, and in a very few minutes it was 

 no easy matter to say exactly where the lake ended 

 and the shore began. Thunder and lightning followed 

 in deafening, ear-spHtting crashes. There seemed no 

 intermission, each thunderclap running into the next. 

 In a very few seconds all the camp fires had been 

 extinguished, some of the tents flooded out, and 

 at one time it seemed as if the whole camp must 

 be washed or blown away. Unfortunately, although 

 the tent stood, a great proportion of the stores were 

 damaged and rendered useless. 



Half an hour later everything was bright again, 



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