22 SPORT IN VANCOUVER 



him, for he could not grasp the fact that 

 any one living could refuse a drink. 



Poor " Lord B.," as he was called, was only 

 his own enemy. As I always addressed him 

 " My Lord," which he took quite seriously, 

 we became quite pals. 



A trapper and prospector by profession, he 

 had a fair education, and when sober was a 

 shrewd man of the local world, which confined 

 itself to prospecting for minerals and cruising 

 timber claims. 



Persistently drunk for two or three days at 

 a time, he would suddenly sober down, put a 

 pack on his back which few men could carry, 

 and disappear into the woods to his lonely log 

 cabin, only to return in a few days ready for 

 a fresh spree. At least, this was his life while 

 I stayed at the hotel, for in one month he 

 appeared three times. 



No doubt during the winter, when occupied 

 with his traps, he could neither afford the time 

 nor the money for an hotel visit. 



He was wizened in appearance and lightly 

 built, but as hard as nails. Dishevelled to 

 look at when on the spree, as soon as it was all 

 over he became a different character, appear- 

 ing in neat, clean clothes, and full of reminis- 

 cences of backwoods life. He was always a 

 subject of interest to me, and, poor fellow, 



