Untitled - Beeldbibliotheek

200 CARAVAN DAYSMy only fear is that when at last the partybroke up and the guests were bundled off for thesecond time to bed there would be littlerest forsome hours to come, and sleepy heads in themorning.On the following nightit was a hospitablegrocer, with a farm of his own, near the town ofLumsden, who took us in. He also called on usin the evening, and we talked politics tilla latehour. For although in most places agriculture,as a topic, is all-sufficient, I perceive that unlessone issomething of a politician, one cannot expectto go very far in Strathbogie.After that we crossed the last of the heightsand descended toward Deeside, stopping for theSundayon a farm not far fromLumphanan, aplace, I am bound to admit, almost destitute ofthe necessities of life(including water), where wewere rather hard put to it to keepthe horsesgoing. And again on that Sunday we made anumberof friends, and such frequent floral offeringsarrived in the afternoon that we were in difficultiesto display them all. We had so many callersthat by the Monday morningbecome a sort ofthe caravan hadpopular rendezvous, where onedropped in to have a chat and meet one's friends ;and when we pulled out on to the road it chanced