170 DAYS IN THE OPEN 



steamer stops daily on its trips from Nelson to 

 Kootenay Landing to take your orders for pro- 

 visions or to bring supplies. A Chinaman does the 

 " house work," including alleged cooking. Do 

 you get the picture? 



It was five o'clock on a Friday afternoon when 

 the tug and the house-boat picked us up at Proctor. 

 By " us " is meant the Preacher and his family, 

 together with the Doctor and his daughter. The 

 wind was blowing fresh from the south, and our 

 destination was twenty miles away. Once out of 

 the river where the wind could get a fair chance 

 at us, and that house-boat began to buck. Per- 

 haps you think there are no possibilities of a heavy 

 sea on an inland lake. If so, you will do well to 

 think again. Kootenay Lake is more than one 

 hundred miles long with an average width of 

 some five miles. Great mountains guard it on 

 either side, and up that long tunnel the wind 

 came with a whoop. The boat was lashed to the 

 windward side of the tug, and so was in position 

 to get the full benefit of any slap that the waves 

 thought best to give. We rose and fell and heaved 

 about. The hawsers were not absolutely taut, 

 and ever and again the boat would be knocked 

 against the tug with a jar that made everything 

 rattle. It was time for supper, and the potatoes 

 were on to boil and the tea-kettle was just begin- 

 ning to sing, when a huge wave lifted us up and 

 hurled us against the tug. Over went potatoes, 



