Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-07-01

a mighty roll right overhead. My bearers
dropped the palkee on the road, and bolt
ed straight for shelter. The flashes of the
lightning lit up their fugitive forms as
thev rushed across the rice fields, whittier
I knew not. 1t was useless to pursue
them-useless indeed to do anything at
all but remain in the palkee and take
what might come.
For half an hour at least there con-
tinued this unremitting blaze of lightning
flashes, and this continual roar of thun-
der overhead. l believe that could have
seen to read by the light of the lightning.
into which the whole atmosphere seemed
to merge BY and by there came along
with the sulphurous smell with which the
air was laden a fresh damp smell of
moisture; but as yet the black clouds had
not broken, and no rain was falling. In
the dead stiffness how comes it that there
is Il gruesome rustic among the leaves OF
the mango trees there-a sort OF shlver,
as if they were affrighted in the face OF
all this elemental disturbance? The rus
tie increases, and there is a fitful puff or
two of light wind coming, as it seems,
from all points of the compass at once.
Then momentary hush; even a moment
airy cessation of the thunder and the light
ming and then, without a single prelim-
mary drop of warning, the sluice gates of
heaven open. The rain falls in torrents,
clashing with vehemence on the top of the
palkee, as if it would smash it in, making
the dust Il puddle in the twinkling of an
eye The lightning still flashes through
the rain, but its brilliancy is quencheq,
and its activity seems dulled. The thun-
der gradually lowers its voice, and the
eli tn t1,a
leaving to us still the drainage of the
black clouds which it had conjured up.
As suddenly as it had begun did the rain
cease The clouds did not drift away, but
simply ended, having run out; and in
their place, 10! the great vault of heaven,
clear and serene, set with innumerable
starry gems, from the middle of which
the fair moon poured down her lucent
beams. 1t was a strange sight, this Sc
rene glorious heaven overhead-away on
the southern horizon that lurid cloud still
flashing and sending fourth its forked darts
of lightning. The cooled night air now
waited from the fields, the groves, and
the iungles sweet fresh odors of fragrant
flowers and leaves You could hear the
thirsty earth sucking in the moisture
through its pores, with a kind of gurglt
such as water makes poured from bot
tie. All nature awoke-eXcept my bear
ers. The Cicala began its lively chirp
the night birds whistled and called to eact
other, the jackals came frisking ont from
the fringes of the jungle. But no bearer:
came from anywhere, frisking or other
wise; and so | closed up the palkee, anc
tried to 90 to sleep, and not bother my
self about a matter which in no viii
could influence. But could not sleep
Beasts came and shifted at the palkee
poking ut its venetians with their noses IL
Il manner not calculated to contribute t
: the equanimty of its occupant, who triet
unsuccessfully to scare them away by il
| Eliminating the interior with lucifer match
/ es. | don't in the least know what thu
animals were, for | was not curiou
= enough, under the circumstances, to opel
the flaps and reconnoitre; but / imagin
they were leopards, which are very plenti
full in the jungle of Bogra and Rungpore
e At length, after about four hours absence
1 my bearers returned in highly afflbl
l. and complacent mood. After the storm
: had passed they had, it appears, consider
=, ed it due to themselves to have some sup
per, which entailed n visit to the neares
village"