170 THE EASTERN HUNTERS. 



clouds had passed, the sky was blue overhead, and 

 the leaves and grass were glittering with the rain- 

 drops, in the full glare of the tropical sun, while 

 they danced in the breath of a cool and pleasant 

 breeze. 



The inmates of the little camp had now leisure to 

 look around and ascertain the damage wrought by 

 the brief elemental shock. One of the servants' 

 rowties, it was found, had come down, and, with 

 one of its poles broken, lay a confused mass of can- 

 vass, with boxes, baskets, and other articles sticking 

 up like great bumps from beneath it. Two of the 

 horses, also, had broken loose from their pickets, 

 and, with heel-ropes dangling behind, were careering 

 over the open ground, evincing a strong disposition 

 to fight. One or two boughs of trees lay scat- 

 tered about, and it was found the lightning had 

 struck the root of a small isolated tree on a neigh- 

 bouring rocky knoll, and, passing through it, fur- 

 rowed the ground for a space of several yards before 

 it became lost. A part of the embankment, which 

 protected the tent of Norman and Hawkes, had 

 given way, and a stream of water was flowing 

 through it. Many things within the tents were, of 

 course, more or less wetted ; and there was shortly 

 a great display of light clothing, blankets, horses' 

 Jules (clothing), and other articles stretched on the 



