The story-book adventures of the pioneers who crossed the North American prairie wastes in their Conestaga wagons influenced David Hume '40 into priming up his own prairie schooner, a model A flivver of uncertain vintage, for a Christmas holiday jaunt through Canada.

Buzzing cheerily over frozen Dominion tundra, Pilot Hume lost his vision because of a frosty windshield. He slowed down to clean it off by moving into a large snowbank at the side of the road, since it would save his rather feeble brakes undue exertion. Like the boy who tackled the snowman built around a fire hydrant Hume found that all is not snow that drifts. The ancient carriage demolished itself against a submerged culvert.

Hume hired a truck to haul the wreck back to the States at a cost of $7.50. Back home he sold the remains for $8.