88 FRUIT RAXCHIXG. 



the spars and rafters. The houses were built and 

 glazed throughout by two young men named Arthur 

 and William, the former an Englishman, the latter a 

 Canadian from Manitoba. The winter was, on the 

 whole, so mild and open that, despite the heavy snow- 

 fall, they were able to continue the work almost with- 

 out interruption all the season. 



As the work drew towards a finish, the con- 

 structors took it into their heads that they would 

 like to climb the mountain on the opposite side 

 of the lake, so that they " might see what the country 

 was like at the top." It was still buried deep in snow, 

 as was abundantly evident from below. An ex- 

 perienced mountain guide whom the two adventurers 

 consulted in Nelson warned them that they would be 

 taking great risks if they attempted to climb the 

 mountain at that season. Nevertheless, they deter- 

 mined to undertake the adventure. Then every night 

 for more than a week before they were to make a start 

 they were out on the snows practising snowshoeing 

 by moonlight. I can see them still, flitting, early one 

 morning, before it was fully light, down the front 

 pathway leading to the lake, each with a heavy knap- 

 sack on his back. Halfway across the lake they 

 vanished in the gloom of the morning. 



Before setting off they arranged with us that they 

 would burn a red flare every night to let us know that 

 they were all right, and that they did not intend to 

 return the following day. The first night we saw the 

 signal light quite easily, and so, too, on the second 

 night. A few minutes after the red flare had died 

 down, I was called to the telephone by one of the 

 boatmen of Nelson. 



