74 



THE OOLOGIST 



Around Red Lake In a Launch 



By L. E. Healey 



Part IV 



The day was inclined to be squally 

 with the sun shining through the riffs 

 of clouds casting bright spots on the 

 surface of the lake intensifying the 

 darker shadows of the denser clouds. 

 We left Shotley at nine a. m. with the 

 intention of reaching the narrows by 

 dinner time. The wind came from the 

 west and had full sweep of the lake. 

 We were driving south and southwest 

 and cut the ever increasing waves at 

 an angle head on. The shores were 

 rocky and high, in places running up 

 to good sized hills, and the water was 

 deeper and free from weeds. We were 

 progressing nicely and enjoying the 

 spray as our little craft would catch 

 a white cap and cut it in two. Away 

 to the westward where the horizon 

 was but a line we could see it rain. A 

 white mist was mixing with the air 

 and water, combining the elements. 

 As the moments passed we could see 

 the cloud grow and it was coming our 

 way as fast as the increasing wind 

 could carry it. Gradually the waves 

 became larger; the ragged edges of 

 the cloud tossed and flung their warn- 

 ings at us; the white caps grew more 

 numerous and ever larger; the black- 

 ness of the water and the approach- 

 ing cloud were intensified by the foam 

 of the breakers and the sunshine about 

 us. We knew the small storm was 

 driving down upon us although we 

 could see it was not large enough to 

 cover the entire area of the lake. It 

 was a beautiful sight to behold al- 

 though it filled us with apprehension 

 for the success of our little craft with 

 its curtains drawn to weather it. The 

 steep rocky shores were not inviting 

 with the waves pounding themselves 

 into atoms in their madness, and after 

 many misgivings, we put down the 

 curtains and prepared for the worst. 



The Largest We Got, 12|/ 2 Pounder 

 —Photo by L. E. Healy. 



But our fears were all in vain. Al- 

 though the curtained top gave great 

 sail area, our little engine helj the 

 boat to its true course and the rain 

 beat down and the waves rolled and 

 the wind blew, but we were as snug 

 as a kid in a Ford and never lost a 

 moment of travel. The storm cloud 

 passed as rapidly as it had come up 

 and all was sunshine again. We came 

 into calmer waters in the lea of the 

 west point at the Narrows and two 

 p. m. saw us landed starved, to death. 

 We never will forget that feed — ham 

 and eggs and French fried potatoes — 

 how we did dig in. When in the midst 

 of this feed of feeds another cloud 

 seeing us, made a bee line for us and 

 chased us hurriedly into the shelter 

 of our ever ready and friendly boat 

 top. We discovered that the fish were 

 biting fine and after a few good casts 

 we set out for Ponema Post Office, a 



