Last Evening E - - Suddenly Said, "I Wish We Could Sleep In A
Tent?" Mr. Ross Answered, "I Can Easily Manage
It for you," and
accordingly two men of business (I think contractors for food, &c.),
were turned out of their
Tent, and came to our car, and John and E - -
slept in their small tent near the river. I don't think they will want
to do it _again_, and I was better off in a nice room all to
myself, where I could dress comfortably, but had not many appliances for
that end. We all met at eight o'clock breakfast, and our black man (who
looked more than ever like a large bolster, well filled and tied at the
top for his head), cooked us an eatable beef-steak, and after this John
and Mr. Ross's brother "_Jack_" rode off to penetrate as far as
they could beyond "construction." I am a little nervous about his ride,
for the road is a mere track, and very rough, however, wagons and mules
_do_ travel on it. E - - has made many pretty sketches; mine are
scanty and perfectly horrid. I don't improve at all. The sun is trying
to come out. We are on a siding, close to numbers of tents and mules and
wagons, a sort of depot for provisions, clothes, &c. I have never seen a
tipsy man or woman since I landed at Quebec! and in many parts of Canada
alcohol cannot be bought, and the penalty is _always_ severe for
selling or giving it to an Indian. Further on I passed yesterday quite a
"city" of tents; over one was printed "Hotel Fletcher," another,
"Restaurant, meals at all hours," "Denver Hotel," "Laundry," "Saloon,"
&c. These are _speculations_, and are not connected with railway
officials. Some of the men (one was taking a photograph of "the city,")
have the American _twang_. Mr. Rosa is going off directly the
directors arrive, far into the interior, on an exploring tour into the
Selkirk range, &c. The line is "graded" about fifty miles further on,
and the bridges and tunnels are making. They are working the other end
from Port Moodie on the Pacific, and will meet by the spring of next
year. What a pity the British Association's visit to Canada was not in
1885 instead of 1884? Some day are going to carry the line higher up, so
as to avoid the steep incline down which we travelled so cautiously, but
they are very anxious to get the line done _somehow_, and it is
really wonderful at what a pace they go.
_Calgarry, September 27th_. - On Wednesday, 24th, after John had
gone off riding, Dick and I waited about for the directors' car, which
we expected that morning, but alas! though it arrived at eleven, they
only stopped at the telegraph office a moment, took no notice of us, and
went on to the end of "construction," returning in about an hour, (John
got back much later, and we wondered why Mr. Ross advised him to go, as
it obliged him to miss this car); they again only made a pause, during
which Dick spoke to Mr. Angus, and E - - also had a few words with Mr. D.
Smith, but she was too modest in urging our claims to be helped on up
the incline and they went and left us in the lurch. I heard afterwards
that the American part of the company were in a great hurry to get on,
Mr. Angus Field having telegrams following him all along the line, but
we should not have detained them, and they would only have had to drop
us at Laggan, where our own car was waiting. So we had to wait another
night, and all went to bed very grumpy!
_Thursday, 25th_. - After breakfast we walked some way, and then
Hedley and I remained at the telegraph station (this is the only source
of information in these parts), and the others went on. An hour or two
later the freight train began to think of starting up the incline, and
Hedley and I got into the cab of the engine. We soon came up with E - -,
who joined us there. Some two or three miles further on John and Dick
appeared, wildly gesticulating as they stood on the middle of the line
to try and stop us, but the engineer declared we were now on too steep
an incline, and on we went, much to our dismay, for this entailed thirty
or forty miles walk for rheumatic John and not over-strong Dick. We
reached the top all right, and found ourselves at "Kicking Horse Lake,"
and to our great relief up walked John and Dick. It seems they made a
rush at the train as it passed, and John jumped on an open car all
right - but Dick caught his foot in a sleeper and fell down, but had the
presence of mind to pick himself up very quickly, and caught the last
engine (we had one at each end) and jumped on the cow catcher! I
shuddered to think what _might_ have happened to Dick when he fell,
but he only got a bruise on his knee and a severe injury to his
trousers! We reached Laggan about half-past one, and found our cook
still much of an invalid, with a real negro to assist him! I think the
negroes are much more manly and altogether pleasanter than the
half-breeds, who are mean, discontented, and impertinent when they dare.
This negro was a capital servant, and had lived with his present master
(to whom he was returning after the said master's absence in Europe)
twelve years. We left Laggan at half-past nine, Friday 26th, and had
glorious scenery, most of which we had previously passed in the dark.
Rocky mountains with their snowy tops all about us, and the lovely
yellow and red and purple colouring on their sides. E - - sketched
vigorously and I smudged!
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