free to retire to my own room to rest
for an hour or two. Arrived there, I removed my boots and then, without
troubling to remove further clothing, flung myself upon my bed and
instantly sank into complete oblivion.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

WE EXTERMINATE THE APES.

I was aroused to consciousness by the flash of a dazzling light upon my
closed eyelids, accompanied by the crash of a terrific clap of thunder.
Opening my eyes I discovered that the room was in opaque darkness--
showing that I must have been allowed to sleep at least eight hours; but
even as I swung my feet to the floor and started to grope for my boots,
while the reverberations of the thunder-clap still rumbled and echoed in
the distance, there came another blinding flash of lightning, instantly
followed by a deafening crash of thunder; and, getting my bearings by
the illumination of the lightning, I started to my feet and, forgetting
my boots, rushed to Billy's bedside, apprehensive of what might be the
effect of the storm upon him.

I found the patient not only awake but also in his right mind.

"Well, Billy, my boy, how are you by this time?" I demanded.

"I believe I'm better, thank you, Mr Blackburn," replied the boy; "but
I feel very weak and--oh, goodness! isn't it hot?"

It was. I had just found time to become aware of the excessive heat and
closeness of the atmosphere. The perspiration was simply streaming from
every pore of my body, and I felt suffocating for want of sufficient
air. All the doors and windows of the bungalow were wide open, but the
atmosphere was absolutely stagnant, the naked flame of a newly ignited
lamp burning without the faintest flicker.

One of our native domestics was now busying herself arranging the table
in what we called the "dining-room", and in laying out the materials for
a supper for me--for it now appeared that I had slept for nearly
fourteen hours on end, and the good woman insisted that I must have a
meal at once. While these preparations were in progress I went out and
stood under the veranda to take a look at the weather.

The thunder-clap that had broken in upon my slumbers proved to be the
prelude to a terrific electrical disturbance which was now in full
action. The centre of the disturbance appeared to be almost immediately
overhead, for flash after flash of lightning was striking all round the
house, while the detonations of the thunder were continuous and so
violent that I felt the floor