The BC Adventure 45

25 June, 1923

Likely

Cariboo, BC
 

My own lovely Darling,

This week has been the dullest for ages and ages, 'cos of the most important item – I did not get a letter from you, sweetest lamb. I guess part of the mail was in the second train of the week and so
might be in tomorrow. I do so love your dear brave letters and I got so prouder than ever of my sweetheart wife. The more I read your letters written all the months before our Daughter (sounds funny still) made her appearance, the more perfect I think they are – contented, happy, very sweet to me. Hand on heart, no fussing about having to try sideways and the pains and the problems you must have had but just ignored in writing to me. I'm missing you terribly all the time and more and more.

This week I've been nearly all the time down in the Ford with Tilton, prospecting around. Didn't feel very energetic, mainly due to our cooking I guess. Still what prospecting we did produced results for better than I expected, though of course we didn't do much digging. Still on five acres of ground we struck right off could be very encouraging. So far I've put in $220 and my share is $500. As things stand here at the mine (I got back last night) there doesn't seem much prospect of collecting money for wages through the Trust co. The men have got fed up and are putting a lien on the property. I am going to send my claims in with theirs. To blazes with being one of the staff or rot of that kind. I've got to get my money and I've got not one feeling of any gratitude to the Management. I warned them till I was tired of their idiotic ways and to the deuce with them. I'd have pulled out some time ago when they wouldn't take my advice, if I could have got my pay. I don't know if this staying on as a sort of caretaker business will come off. In the mean time I'm trying to
keep in touch and do some work down on the Fords at the same time. I'm going to make a “strike” by Autumn if I just can anyhow. I must 'cos I do so want it for  my precious (and of course I've got to see that babe of yours). I'm so impatient for the mail tomorrow, Pet.

It was lousy with mosquitoes down at the West Ford, but the “No see ems” were worse. (Those tiny flies, so called by the Indians.) When you are panning they're just damnable! Buggins enjoyed himself. As we got down near the cabin he dashed into the back, and came our looking half scared, half inquisitive. I thought it was probably a bear and sent him to again (we have a rifle) but all he produced was a calf moose. Though I hunt for meat being closed season and only a calf he didn’t turn into food. (Oh no, you know my respect for the law too well, don't you.) Wish I'd had the camera and could have photographed it with Buggins.

If I didn't send you a delayed warning not to do it, please deal with those shapes as I wrote last week, or rather ask Peter if he would kindly do it.

Things are rather in a mess just now but they fail to worry me yet. I just can't worry so long as my precious darling is well and happy. Bless you. Blackie must have eaten 20 smallish rabbits I should think. She sends you her love. I suppose I shall have to write some sort of yarn to Tommy one of these days.

I enjoy Joey and Cecil's letters. Wonderful ease of memory for me to remember them. God bless you both, Dearest.

For always in adoring,

Mark.

*****

Likely, Cariboo

3^rd July. 1923

My own honey Darling,

I am writing at the Dam, having come to pan the West Fork and get the mail. Got your letter (June 6) last Monday. You were downstairs for the first time and very brave to be out of bed. Must have been hard for you even pomg so far Darling Pet.

Fraid you must have thought my letter May 10^th very direct and uninteresting, but I was so anxious about my sweetheart. However I'm glad you didn't try Lassie's experiment. Sounds very drastic. If only some little folk knew how their entrance to the world was hastened I guess they'd be surprised and heartened. Fancy being thrown upon the world by a dose of caster oil. You dear old precious, thinking I was with you that night and then you wake up still feeling my arms around you. I think they had known dear. I do hope you are not letting Nurse go too early dear. You are not to go doing a lot. Can you get some help? Do, if you can. I'll get more and more pennies soon. Somehow or other. Now don't forget, see. Glad the vaccination was a success. Poor dear lamb, no where to put your closes, 'cos Miss Julia takes up all the room in your drawers (Not content with taking up a lot of room in your stays for months past). I've been out at the N Ford Thurs to Tues and have done a lot of prospecting. I dunno how the property is going to turn out. Might be all right, in there is gold in small quantities distributed in quite an area. But we've done very little prospecting yet, There's a rumour that the Cedar Creek company have sold out.

But I think it's like most rumours round here. If only I could get my pay and say even $5 a share for the units I'd feel that I shouldn't be too badly out of it. It means I think that should be some definite news by next Mail Day. I don't seem to worry any about thing. My joy about you is too great for that. Still I'm glad if things got straightened up and I can make some definite plans about clearing and a new job of something.

Just as Bob Tillie and I left the N Ford yesterday evening it started to pour. It was about 8 miles through the rain. So when I got here (the hotel) there was a dance on, but I got a room and went straight to bed and sent my things to the kitchen to get dried. Slept in blankets with mould on, rather ticky, you would have hated it. Had a good sleep though. I've got lots of ambition to make some pennies these days. If we could get about 2-3 thousand pounds more than we've got now we'd do pretty well at Penbryn, couldn't we. That's what you would like best of all I believe.

I do hope Mum's had a good passage. It's miserable for her if she didn't. However she was travelling comfortably so I hope she did. I've often kicked myself for letting you go clear across Canada but I didn't know myself what it was like. Bye Bye precious. Hope to have some more news of you next mail. God bless you my Darling.

For always your adoring Mark.

Love to Mater, Pater, Dorothy and all, M