1921 Travel Diary - Chapter XIX

While the fire was being made W. and B. went into town to get bread, our supply having run short, and to arrange an appointment with the hospital authorities since Maudie had decided that another operation was imperative if we were to continue traveling in safety. On their return to camp we had breakfast, admiring the while some beautiful white clouds, the last remnants of the rain of the evening before, which were passing well down the side of the mountains. Then B. again went into town with Maudie, staying with her while the operation was performed, and the others, left to amuse themselves as best they could, never even thought of gathering and sending flowers to Maudie, but did express their opinions of her with both freedom and fluency -- she might so easily have chosen a more convenient time for indulging her ailments. About 11:30, the operation over, B. brought the neurasthenic hypochondriac back. She did not understand the name and was quite bucked up, thinking herself no end of a swell to have such a high sounding disease, and we hoped this would take her mind off lesser troubles. We then got an early lunch and left at about 11:30, to our everlasting regret without again availing ourselves of the facilities for liquidation provided by the government. Though our permit had expired we might have been able to move the official heart with the pitiful tale of drought in our own province. While the regulations remain the same, we found the official interpretation thereof varied according to the individual. We drove easily stopping several times for one excuse or another, trying to make our sojourn in the hills, where both wood and water are good, last out as long as possible, but even at this slow pace we eventually reached the twin lakes, where a longer stop was made to obtain a picture (time exposure) of these beautiful little sheets of water. Then on to Blairmore by about 4:30 p.m., where additional supplies were purchased and B. attempted to get an adjustment on the shoe bought at this place which had proved so satisfactory, but was referred to the district office in Lethbridge with many encouraging promises as to the company's willingness to make fair adjustments. We then drove on as far as our campsite East of Hillcrest at which we stayed when outward bound and, arriving there at 5:30 p.m. We decided to call it a day. Camping thus early gave us plenty of time to arrange the camp and beds in comfort. The perfect harmony was, however, marred by a virulent and scathing epitome of B's character and habits made by W. just because B., in passing the campfire by which W. was squatting, happened to touch the fire-stick with his foot. The attack was most uncalled for, especially as only part of the steam and ashes from the spilt kettle went into W's face, the rest being distributed evenly over his hands and person. B., with great self-control, returned a soft answer, only gently reminding W. of a few of his most conspicuous failings and the incident passed off.

At supper we fared sumptuously, L. adding the fruits of the earth to the oxen and fatlings which proved, when all things were ready, most appetizing. In spite of B. having taken special pains to make the beds capable of inducing sleep, we sat long round the fire enjoying to the utmost this, our last, camp before reaching the open prairie. Then, regretfully turning in, we passed a very restful night and waking greatly refreshed set about the preparation of breakfast and camp breaking in a much more leisurely manner than usual, so much so that it was after 9 am. When we finally started and with many a backward look headed for the East and home. We did not hurry during the forenoon and were only in the neighborhood of Brocket when our thoughts began to turn to food, so, leaving the road, we went to look for our friend the Old Man river, which we knew must be quite close on our left. Following a winding trail for perhaps a mile and then a short adventure across a sand and boulder flat, evidently flooded in times of high water, we came out on the bank of the river and immediately made camp. A few fish were jumping, so B. got out the rod while the kettle was boiling and almost at once got a good bite, but lost the fish. Trying again after lunch he succeeded in catching a greyling and a fish closely resembling a sucker, whereat the Kid became greatly excited and the usual routine of packing was upset, resulting in the loss of a highly prized knife belonging to L. and the breaking of an otherwise unblemished record. After our return to Regina, L. wrote to the Superintendent of the Indian Mission at Brocket, offering a very attractive reward for the recovery of this knife and enclosing a rough sketch of the place where it was lost. The Superintendent explained this sketch to his charges and the knife was found by one of them bearing the pleasing name of "Meat-face", by which name this camp will ever after be known by us. On the road again after lunch our pace improved considerably, although we were slightly delayed between Cowley and Pincher by stopping to help a Ford truck up a newly graded hill where the roadbed was very loose and sandy, and again by rendering assistance to another outfit whose chief trouble was lack of experience.

Lethbridge was reached about 5 o'clock and here we wasted about an hour in trying to find the person to whom we had been referred for an adjustment on Maudie's shoe. It was a Saturday afternoon and offices were closed in consequence, and we failed to get any satisfaction. So we again replenished our supplies of various commodities and, B's notorious tobacco having run short, he also purchased a further supply, but was greatly pained by the invidious comments made on his choice by both W. and L. A good run from Lethbridge to Taber was made without incident except that Maudie, encountering her first gopher since leaving the prairies literally pounced on it and callously, even joyously, crushed it underfoot. At Taber we turned north in search of a campsite along the river - our only hope of water - and after wasting some time investigating a possible site, but one which it was very hard to get at, drove round the three sides of a section and then in through a gate, reaching the river by an easy grade at a point about six miles due North of Taber. By this time it was nearly dark and as we found every requisite for a good camp, with the exception of shelter which might have been better, but which we were unlikely to find in this district, we immediately began preparations for the night and, for a fact, considered ourselves very lucky to have struck this place.