A SUMMER DRIVE IN THE LAKE COUNTRY. 235 



where we stopped for dinner. As we started out in the 

 afternoon, we overtook in the village two Italians, one 

 carrying a heavy pole, the other leading a huge per- 

 forming bear. Horses almost invariably shy at a bear ; 

 not so, Bess. She sprang forward for it, and it was 

 with difficulty I kept her from running the ungainly 

 creature down. It seemed to be a new experience to 

 the Italians, who screamed and howled upon us some 

 imprecation, but they were lively in giving us plenty of 

 the road. 



We spent a few days pleasantly with friends at Bath, 

 but the weather was intensely hot and dry, making 

 travel uncomfortable, excepting in the early and later 

 portions of the day. 



Arrangements had already been made to spend a 

 week at Ilammondsport. So we concluded to start 

 very early in the morning in order to avoid heat and 

 fatigue, the two chief drawbacks of summer travel by 

 private conveyance. 



The carriage was at the door about 3 o'clock, and we 

 were some miles on the way before the first signs of the 

 morning appeared in the east. It seemed a little weird 

 and uncann}^ at first to start out into an unknown coun- 

 try in the night, but just as the first streaks of dawn 

 appeared, a delightful change came over the face of 

 nature. We were well up the valley as the stars 

 began to fade out and the yellow to overspread the 

 eastern sky. A heavy perfume of grass and growing 

 grain filled the cool, dewy air. The sibilant song of the 

 hair bird, insect hke, was' the first sound of awakening 



