Great pillars of mud-coloured cloud came creeping across the surface of the veldt towards them, seemingly blown along without a wind.

Now, too, a ghastly-looking ringed moon arose throwing an unholy and distorted light upon the blackness that seemed to shudder in her rays as though with a prescience of the advancing terror.

On crept the mud-coloured columns, and on above them, and resting on them, came the muttering storm.

The cart was quite close to the river now, and they could distinguish the murmur of its waters.

To their left stood a koppie, covered with white, slab-like stones, on which the sickly moonbeams danced.
"Look, John, look!" cried Jess with an hysterical laugh; "it is like a huge graveyard, and the dark shadows between are the ghosts of the buried." "Nonsense," said John sternly; "why do you talk such rubbish ?" He felt that her mind had lost its balance, and, what is more, his own nerves were shaken.