258 THE TROUT ARE RISING 
in the “ tassel-time of Spring.” You may see the 
Drakensberg, with its Giant’s Castle and its 
Champagne Castle. At set of sun the tips of the 
mountain heights are as molten gold, while the 
"Berg otherwise is a calm, soft blue; right under- 
neath by way of contrast, is a patch of veld 
transformed to a dull black by fire-guards (grass 
burnt in order to prevent accidental fires spread- 
ing), while in another direction fire-guards 
themselves, serpent-like tracts of golden flame, 
are ablaze. Blue smoke ascends from a farmstead 
here and there, and all around cattle browse. It is 
indeed a pastoral picture oversea. 
The miracle of spring brings out the willows 
in a dress of freshest, daintiest green, all the 
more attractive because the veld generally has 
not yet wholly lost its sun-scorched appearance. 
Herons, kingfishers, and an occasional brace of 
wild duck are to be seen. Once, at the darken- 
ing, of short duration in South Africa, an otter 
was disturbed; he made off, then suddenly 
stopped in shallow water, turned round and 
issued a challenge, as it were, like a great cat 
spitting out its anger. Towards the end of that 
August snow fell heavily. Then the peach trees, 
already advanced in pink blossom, became 
powdered with white. 
