function preload()
  {
  var the_images = new Array('http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/travel/fall/2001/images/1_on.gif','http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/travel/fall/2001/images/2_on.gif','http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/travel/fall/2001/images/3_on.gif','http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/travel/fall/2001/images/4_on.gif','http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/travel/fall/2001/images/5_on.gif','http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/travel/fall/2001/images/6_on.gif','http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/travel/fall/2001/images/7_on.gif','http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/travel/fall/2001/images/8_on.gif','http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/travel/fall/2001/images/1_off.gif','http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/travel/fall/2001/images/2_off.gif','http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/travel/fall/2001/images/3_off.gif','http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/travel/fall/2001/images/4_off.gif','http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/travel/fall/2001/images/5_off.gif','http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/travel/fall/2001/images/6_off.gif','http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/travel/fall/2001/images/7_off.gif','http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/travel/fall/2001/images/8_off.gif');
  preloadImages(the_images);
  }
function preloadImages(the_images_array) 
  {
  for(loop = 0; loop < the_images_array.length; loop++)
    {
    var an_image = new Image();
    an_image.src = the_images_array[loop];
    }
  }