AN EXCITING TRIP 319 



ones, which were brought to Philadelphia and shown 

 to a lapidary, who couldn't even classify them. I had 

 them cut up and made into stick pins, brooches and 

 rings, and they made very novel and acceptable Christ- 

 mas presents. 



We were stopped once more on signal from a woman 

 who was waiting on the bank. She, with her baggage, 

 was soon aboard, and then the journey was completed 

 without interruption. 



Soda Creek is a little village nestling close to the 

 Frazer River, with one so-called hotel and, say, a half 

 dozen houses. It was pitch dark when we arrived at 

 the landing and the road very muddy from the excess- 

 ive rains. The arrangement for the luggage owned 

 by the passengers was that it should stay until the 

 stage should arrive from Ashcroft, due at 10: 30 o'clock, 

 when the stuff for the up-river trip was unloaded from 

 the stage to the steamer. 



Our stuff would then be loaded upon the same stage, 

 where it would remain out in the open until noon of 

 the next day exposed to the rain or snow all of that 

 time. 



I had two dunnage bags weighing about eighty 

 pounds each. The night was dark and it was pouring 

 rain. I didn't know the way, and the so-called hotel 

 was said to be a quarter of a mile away and up a fairly 

 steep bank. 



I asked the purser an Englishman if he would al- 



