

A TROPICAL STOlUf. 81 



in a moment, they were by my side, emulating each 

 other in their zeal, energy and courage to follow 

 my example. The job was not a long one, for the 

 rheims that did the duties of halter ropes were 

 secured with slip-knots, one pull on which undid 

 them. But we dare not now turn the horses 

 loose, or they would have stampeded, and to hold 

 them would have required the united strength of 

 the whole party, who, being needed for other im- 

 portant purposes, could not be spared, so I tied 

 their heads together, with little more than a foot 

 of halter between the muzzle of each, and thus 

 successfully put a stop to any proclivities for 

 straying. Happily, animals under such circum- 

 stances can never make up their minds to work 

 in unison, so the desire of one thwarted the in- 

 tentions of the other. But still the waggons were 

 not yet secure from being upset, and it became 

 necessary to at once prevent such a catastrophe, 

 which can only be done by stretching several storm 

 lines over the tilt of each, and firmly and tautly 

 securing their terminations to stakes or bush roots 

 on both sides. But while all this labour was being 

 gone through, it is not to be imagined that the 

 thunder and lightning had abated, or the hurricane 

 of wind and rain lessened. No such thing ; for, 

 momentarily, all seemed to increase in violence, as 

 if the taste for destruction which they had enjoyed 

 caused them to crave for further powers of wreckage. 



G 



