14000 MILES 



home that we had any idea in the morning where we 

 should sleep at night. The twelve-miles' drive to Brad- 

 ford was as lovely as our friends described it; the road 

 follows Wait's River very closely nearly all the way ; it 

 is a clear stream, with a bright, stony bottom, much more 

 beautiful than many larger rivers with greater reputation. 



We lunched as we drove, on bread and honey, the last 

 sweet gift of our friends at Pike Hill, then rested our 

 horse and made our daily contribution to the mail at 

 Bradford. We had our prettiest view of the Connecticut 

 that afternoon as we drove through Newbury and made 

 another of our "surprise calls" on friends visiting in that 

 vicinity. 



Our landlord at Wells River, an old gentleman, made 

 many inquiries when he found we lived very near his 

 birthplace. His face brightened as we told him of his 

 friends, who were our next-door neighbors, and he won- 

 dered at the distance we had driven "alone." 



It seemed quite natural to make another start with 

 uncertainty before us. We followed the Connecticut to 

 Barnet, and just as we left the hotel, after two hours' 

 rest, the contents of a huge black cloud were poured upon 

 us ; it was such a deluging rain, that as soon as we were 

 out of the village we drove under a tree for partial 

 shelter, and while waiting, finished up our honey. We 

 got to St. Johnsbury in advance of our mail, and ordered 

 it forwarded to Newport, thinking we might leave our 

 horse for a day or two, and take a little trip by rail. 



Strange as it may seem to those unused to such aimless 

 wanderings, we went on and on, facing north at every 

 fresh start, and gathering a bright bunch of golden-rod 



23 



