THE LANDING. 241 



to-day was promptly recalled. The sound proceeded 

 from a swarm of bees that literally rolled over the tops 

 of the trees. It crossed the creek, and sped over the 

 meadow, and when almost beyond sight the peculiar 

 roar could be distinctly heard. 



This incident recalled a remarkable flight of mosqui- 

 toes which I once witnessed from this point. It occurred 

 too at the same time of year. Since sunrise there had 

 been no noticeable peculiarity of the weather ; the tem- 

 perature, perhaps, being a little below the average of a 

 midsummer day. The sky was clear, and while I was 

 rowing slowly down the creek, suddenly, almost between 

 winks, I saw a long, narrow line of dark-gray cloud ris- 

 ing rapidly and extending over half the western horizon. 

 In a few moments I heard a faint humming sound, 

 which grew louder and louder, and I thought of a tor- 

 nado. I was too frightened to plan for my safety, and 

 indeed there was no time in which to act. Heading for 

 the shore, I reached an overhanging elm, and clinging 

 to a projecting root, I awaited the oncoming of the sup- 

 posed tornado. It came, but not as wind. The tempest 

 proved a cloud of mosquitoes. It rose higher and high- 

 er as it approached, and when directly overhead quite 

 cleared the tree-tops. Nevertheless, it was no pleasant, 

 although novel, experience to be beneath such a cloud. 



Had a sudden change in the wind checked their course 

 and caused them to settle, I do not suppose I could have 

 escaped being fatally stung by them. A rough esti- 

 mate made on the spot led to the conclusion that this 

 cloud of mosquitoes was half a mile wide, and one hun- 

 dred yards from front to rear. The depth of the mass 

 11 



