AN ARDUOUS JOURNEY. 125 



the better for that," was the doctor's comment, and 

 he ate as if he believed it. The bread was burnt. 

 "All the better for that," was the invariable remark, 

 and at last the expression became the general by- 

 word whenever anything went wrong on the trip. 



The clouds passed away during the night and the 

 winds died down without a drop of rain. The 

 whole country appeared to have had no rain since the 

 flood. It had rained a little, however, about four 

 months before this date. All next day was spent in 

 one continuous trip over roads in valleys between 

 the mountains, while the dust came in clouds and 

 covered everything. With goggles over the eyes and 

 with the mouth and nose covered to keep the fine 

 particles from the lungs and throat, they almost suf- 

 focated as they travelled, until late in the afternoon, 

 when they reached a small lake, where Dyche suc- 

 ceeded in shooting six half-grown ducks. While 

 thus engaged an Indian stole his spurs which he had 

 left on his saddle, and as he could not spare the time 

 to chase the thief, his horse benefited by the episode. 



Reaching the Okonagan River at a point where it 

 is about one hundred and fifty yards wide, they 

 found that a band of Indians had made their camp 

 and were fishing for salmon, which were running in 

 great numbers. The red men erected a fish-dam of 

 willow and pole in such a manner that all the fish 

 going down the stream were caught in the baskets. 

 This method has been in use among the Indians 

 from time immemorial and was fully described by 

 Lewis arid Clarke in the history of their explorations 

 in 1805. 



