the
little cloud grew bigger, the wind died away altogether, and the stars
began to look mistily from a sky no longer blue. Every now and again my
companion looked towards this increasing cloud, and each time his opinion
seemed to be less favourable. But another change also occurred of a
character altogether different. There came upon us, brought apparently by
the cloud, dense swarms of mosquitoes, humming and buzzing along with us
as we journeyed on, and covering our faces and heads with their sharp
stinging bites. They seemed to come with us, after us, and against us,
from above and from below, in volumes that ever increased. It soon began
to dawn upon me that this might mean something akin to the "mosquitoes
allowing us to travel," of which my friend had spoken some three hours
earlier. Meantime the cloud had increased to large proportions; it was no
longer in the south-west; it occupied the whole west, and was moving on
towards the north. Presently, from out of the dark heavens, streamed
liquid fire, and long peals of thunder rolled far away over the gloomy
prairies. So sudden appeared the change that one could scarce realize
that only a little while before the stars had been shining so brightly
upon the ocean of grass. At length the bright flashes came nearer and
nearer, the thunder rolled louder and louder, and the mosquitoes seemed
to have made up their minds that to achieve the maximum of torture in the
minimum of time was the sole end and aim of their existence. The
captain's pony showed many signs of agony; my dog howled with pain, and
rolled himself amongst the baggage in useless writhings.

"I thought it would come to this," said the captain. "We must unhitch
and lie down."

It was now midnight. To loose the horse from the shafts, to put the
oil-cloth over the cart, and to creep underneath the wheels did-not take
my friend long. I followed his movements, crept in and drew a blanket over
my head. Then came the crash; the fire seemed to pour out of the clouds.
It was impossible to keep the blanket on, so raising it every now and
again I. looked out from between the spokes of the wheel. During three
hours the lightning seemed to run like a river of flame out of the
clouds. Sometimes a stream would descend, then, dividing into two
branches, would pour down on the prairie two distinct channels of fire.
The thunder rang sharply, as though the metallic clash of steel was about
it, and the rain descended in torren