Читать книгу The Rocks and Rivers of British Columbia - Walter Moberly - Страница 12

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The snow was deep, the trail through it narrow, and rain and subsequent frost had made the bottom of the track rough and icy, I reached the lower end with very sore feet some hours after dark, and, passing a cabin, went a short distance to the lake, where I had noticed a hut on my way up. Into this I went, and finding a heap of shavings in the corner commenced to knock them into a good pile, when I was astonished to find my proposed bed already occupied by a miner on his way down, in the same predicament as myself. We lit a fire, had a smoke and talk, and then lay down in the shavings. The worst news I gathered from him was that the boat or canoe would not be in on the following day. In the morning I was washing my face in the snow, when a tall fellow, followed by a “greaser” (the name given to Mexican-Indian half-breeds), passed, and saluted us by the following:—

“Don’t you men want a job? I have a scow of provisions in and want it unloaded, and will give you each two dollars and a half to do it.” I replied, “Will you give us a breakfast, too?” Answer—“Yes; come along.”

We went down, cooked our grub on the beach, and ate such a meal as one does when he has a tremendous appetite, and thinks he may never have another chance. We did the work and got our pay, with a little tobacco as a bonus, and then returned to our cabin. During the forenoon I was cleaning my revolver, when a man, dressed in a large canvas overshirt with a huge red beard, made his appearance, and eyeing my revolver said, “Cap., what sort of a shooting iron is that?” He pulled out a Colt’s navy revolver, and said he would shoot a match with me for two dollars and a half a shot. I thought of my solitary two and a half I had made in the morning, and concluded to accept the challenge. We accordingly made a mark on a tree, tossed up for first turn, which he won, and when he fired made a very bad shot. I won some five or six in succession, and when I had about enough to pay my way down I thought it time to stop; besides I was afraid he might not pay me, so I suggested the advisability of our stopping, to which he agreed, saying I could beat him. He now asked me to come with him to the little groggery he was staying at and have a drink, I wondering if he would pay me. After we had a drink he pulled out a long bag of gold dust and told the man to weigh out for me seventy-five dollars, to take the price of the drinks, and let him have a bottle of whisky, for which the charge was sixteen dollars. I got some crackers and sardines and we rejoined my friend at the hut, and spent the rest of the day telling of our mining adventures, &c. This fortunate windfall enabled me to reach Fort Langley in a few days, where I met my old acquaintance, Captain Tom Wright, and as his steamer was beached for repairs he very kindly asked me to stay on board with him until the Victoria steamer arrived. During my stay with Captain Wright we made a trip up the “Pitt River” and Lake to see if there was a chance to get communication with the Douglas portages, and on my return went to Victoria, rather at a loss what to do next.