A NIGHT ALONE ON CHOCORUA. 
71 
the long black ridge of Paugus, the hump of 
Passaconaway over Paugus, fragments of white 
ledges on the northern spurs of Chocorua, and 
lakes in the valley. Even Ossipee Lake, fif¬ 
teen miles or more away, was plainly distin¬ 
guishable as a white spot in the surrounding 
gloom. Lights shone from many of the cot¬ 
tages near Chocorua Lake, and from Birch in¬ 
tervale, Albany intervale, and Conway. They 
were the connecting link between me and the 
rest of mankind. In the sky there was absolute 
blackness, curiously broken once by the sudden 
appearance of the red planet for the space of a 
single minute. Sometimes a few drops of rain 
fell, but the second storm seemed to be reserv¬ 
ing most of its strength for a region farther 
east. It was now nine o’clock, and the first 
storm had passed far over into Maine, its light¬ 
ning playing with rapid flashes behind Mount 
Pequawket. At every flash the sky just behind 
the pyramidal peak assumed the color of -dead 
gold, while the mountain was embossed upon it 
like an emblem on a shield. Occasionally the 
second storm produced lightning, and when it 
did so the effects were startling, so near was the 
heavenly fire. One flash was from side to side 
across a low cloud which hung near Chocorua 
on the east. It was very vivid, and so complex 
with its many delicate lines and loops of light 
