PLEASURES OF ANGLING. 171 



lanche was sufficiently ludicrous to excite boisterous 

 merriment in spite of the bellowing thunder and 

 the dazzling lightning, which rendered the roar and 

 flash of ten thousand cannon the mere crackling of 

 baby torpedoes. It was a grandly terrific spectacle, 

 which amply compensated us for the delay and 

 drenching which it brought to us. 



We had hoped to make at least half our journey 

 of thirty miles before night-fall. But the storm 

 thwarted us, and the General cried " halt " when 

 the twelve-mile land-mark was reached. 



To those fond of it, camp-life, at its worst, has 

 but few discomforts ; but among these few none 

 are more unpleasant than dripping leaves and sat- 

 urated surroundings. After such a storm every- 

 thing you touch is wet. The first thing coveted is, 

 of course, a fire. But to find available material 

 requires time and patient searching. And when 

 found, where is the dry spot upon which to ignite 

 a lucif er ? In our party we had an expert to whom 

 wind and weather had always hitherto presented 

 no obstacle to the delicate manipulation required. 

 Under the most adverse circumstances, it seemed 

 only necessary for him to strike a well-defined atti- 

 tude to secure the desired result. But upon this 

 occasion the magic seat of his power had so gathered 

 dampness that he scratched in vain, scratched he 

 never so deftly ; and when he found himself no 



