14000 MILES 



"cyclonic" symptoms. We saw an open shed, and asked 

 a portly old man if we could drive in, as it looked like 

 rain. "Yes, and quick too," he said, hobbling ahead of 

 us. We were scarcely under cover before the cloud 

 burst, and such a gust of wind came as it seemed must 

 have overturned our phaeton if we had been exposed to 

 it. We threw our wraps over our heads and ran to the 

 house, where we were kindly received, amid the banging 

 of doors and crackling of glass. The rain fell in sheets 

 and the lightning flashes almost blinded us, but in an 

 hour, perhaps less, we were on our way again, dry and 

 peaceful, the sun shining and the clean, washed roads 

 and prostrate limbs of trees simply reminding us there 

 had been a shower. We spent the night at Penacook, 

 formerly Fisherville. 



By this time we had decided we would deviate from 

 our straight course to Mt. Washington just a bit, only a 

 few miles, and spend a night at Weirs. We remembered 

 very well our last drive from Weirs to Penacook via Til- 

 ton and Franklin, and thought to take the same course 

 this time. Franklin came to hand all right, but where 

 was Tilton? We were sure we knew the way, but were 

 equally sure Tilton should have put in an appearance. 

 We inquired, and were much surprised when told we had 

 taken a wrong turn, or failed, rather, to take the right 

 one seven miles back. We had not only lost our way to 

 Weirs, but we were oflf our course to Mt. Washington, 

 and there is no such thing as going "across lots" in that 

 part of the country. Not knowing what to do, we said 

 we would have luncheon, and take time to accept the 

 situation. 



96 



