
          568.

pleasant!  The wind blew lively and for quite a while, so long, in 
fact that we thought we would only get the windy edge of the storm.
All this time, however, <s>the air</s> it was becoming darker and darker, and
one might think it was 8 o'clock instead of 4.  Very soon now the first
drops of rain fell.  The St. Bernard dog had shown signs of anxiety all
during these phenomena and kept close to us.  Now he looks at us and about us greatly
disturbed, and seems to urge us to find some place for shelter.  On our
left were some piles of cord wood.  We thought that getting behind one of
them, we would be partly protected; so sought out one of the highest
and crouched down close to the ground on the leeward side.  Before we
had all this arranged, it was pouring down in torrents.  How the tops
of the trees did bend before the storm!  Our umbrellas have always
proved faithful friends, and no matter how much rain, we have always
depended on them taking us safely through.  But, alas, to-day, we
might have done as well without them, for the rain pelted so hard
that almost as much came through the umbrella as <s>it</s> was kept off of us.
We were treated to a delightful filtered shower bath.  So fast did
this fine mist come through our umbrellas that in a short time we were
soaked to the skin.  Twice during the storm hail fell.  The first was
slightly globular about the size of wild cherries.  The second was 
        