ing every instant more vivid and frequent. I
had hitherto seen nothing like it on shore. The most vivid flashes of
forked lightning darted from the clouds, apparently playing round the
summits of the taller trees, and then descending, went zigzagging along
over the ground. Others were seen traversing the river in all
directions. It was a grand but terrific scene. The blacks looked
alarmed, and poor Chico chattered as if he would shake his teeth out,
and clung to Jack's neck for protection. The thunder roared and rattled
louder and louder, till we could scarcely hear each other speak; while
sometimes the whole atmosphere seemed filled with flame. Presently huge
drops began to fall. They came thicker and thicker, till they splashed
down upon the river, throwing up miniature waterspouts all over it. The
roar of the splashing and pattering was quite deafening. The wind, too,
howled through the trees, which threatened to come down upon our heads,
though we had placed our hut as far from them as possible. In a few
minutes the water, which had been perfectly clear, became thick and
muddy, and branches of trees and logs of wood were seen floating down
the stream.

"We should be thankful that we are safe on land," said David. "Will
this last long, Senhor Silva?"

"Sometimes such storms are over in half an hour," was the answer; "but
they may last for a couple of days. Should this do so, we may
congratulate ourselves on having the canoes to escape in, for the river
may speedily swell, and cover the very spot where we are sitting."

This was not satisfactory news; at the same time, it was better to know
of the probability of such an occurrence, that we might be prepared for
it. The river was rising--that was evident--and now flowed down in
waves which would have been almost sufficient to swamp our canoes; while
torrents of water came rushing down the banks, and threatening every
instant to sweep away our hut. Happily we had formed it on a little
elevation on the bank, so that the stream turned on either side, and the
risk was therefore lessened. Fiercer and fiercer raged the storm. The
waters increased rapidly. It seemed as if the very clouds were emptying
themselves upon the earth.

"I hope we are not going to have another deluge," exclaimed Leo.

"Of course not," answered Natty. "Don't you know that one is never to
occur again? To be sure, this river may overflow its banks, but we have
our canoes to get