320 WITH GUN AND GUIDE 



low me to hire one of the steamer's men to carry up 

 my sacks for me. He replied, No ; he had no men to 

 spare. I shouldered one of the bags weighing eighty 

 pounds, and walked down the narrow gangplank be- 

 hind the Barkerville woman and child. 



They were also compelled to carry their baggage, 

 while the consequential purser came after us and 

 walked off with a lantern by himself, and never stopped 

 either to help the women down the narrow plank in 

 the dark or to show them the way with his light. 

 That was a long quarter of a mile, with an eighty- 

 pound sack and me stumbling along the road. 



A gate was reached which led to a way through 

 a muddy lot. I opened it and went down in mud up 

 to the ankles, but at last I reached that apology for a 

 hotel. The women came close after me. There were 

 some very angry comments made by the passengers 

 upon the conduct of the surly English purser. 



The next morning (Sunday) the weather was warm 

 and muggy, and it looked like more rain. The stage 

 had been woefully late, not having gotten in until five 

 in the morning. Hearing that a man by the name of 

 " Billy " Lyons kept a good house eight miles away on 

 our route, and as the stage would be heavily loaded 

 there were seventeen passengers to go I paid my bill, 

 and, getting " W. J." to look after my luggage, started 

 to walk to the abode of " Billy " Lyons. One of the 

 men said as I started : 



