The BC Adventure 39

27 November 1922

Cedar Creek

My dearest Sweetheart,

Tomorrow Tom Boyes in the tent opposite is taking mail down so I'll write for him to take. I took up the pad & read on a sheet Eric had started to Joey, as enclosed, just to show he did start it. He is a wee bit sick for belly tonight and didn't get on with it. Maybe that is cos he's scrounging a thick mattress and it has called him. Anyway he's all right and I'm cooking him a dish of tea & Bob has
given him one of his special pills, which I found somewhat delayed action – exploded at about 36 hours - pig.

I told you I had a touch of lumbago didn't I, but I got rid of thanks to embrocation rubbing by my stable mates. Have been continuing a great row with that old blot Sweet – mainly by not speaking a word to him for over a week – I called for a showdown with Munson and he backed me up. He can't actually get rid of Sweet cos he's lent him too much money at critical times. Colin Muir should be back tomorrow and I shall have words of wisdom with him. Of course he is in a way friendly with Sweet – Heaven know why as no one has got any use for the old swine.

Must make the tea, and then continue I've now made it. Eric is consuming some. Blackie thinks its not right so has leapt on his bed. As a matter of fact she fancies her shiny thick black winter coat against his red blankets. He's telling her an awful tale of how he'll wake up one morning to find one of these large owls with her in one talon soaring to Heaven.

I've been working hard to get out a water scheme & went up to Quesnel on Thursday and then via the Mountain House & Soda Creek along the Fraser. Lovely drive. Roads hard with frost going and the ruts to the dam filled with snow. There I recorded the water notices on Friday afternoon finding that MacGaskills and Finlayson staking were just bluffs as I had rather thought that they were not recorded. It rained on Friday and the roads were bad coming back but we made it in a day.

Saturday arrived back at the Dam at 4 p.m. I sent off from Quesnel the Geographic magazine to Mater and the 3 cheques registered to the bank, one for $1850, one for $90 and one for $35.

The water question is not a simple one but I think I can get out a satisfactory scheme. Quesnel is a pleasing place & I'd like to see it again in the summer. The drive up the Fraser along the old
Cariboo road was interesting too – wish you'd been with me, lambkin, as the weather wasn't really cold. We had a cold snap a few weeks ago but we've had really mild weather here since. Great luck
for shifting.

By the way, I got the water up from the steam plant to the rich ground using the small hydraulic pipes I brought in and some fluming is working well – with a little nursing of the precious water.

Managed $7000 or $8000 last week. There are too many men here but Munson who is still at the Dam sends all the world up here. Gang is about 45 now. 'Tween you and me there's a lot of extravagance, Muir being absent, which is spoiling what should be a handsome profit even after taking off the 60 & which of course goes towards the final payment to the Trappers due next Aug 1^st of which quite a little chunk is already paid. I'm advising Munson to prospect the property thoroughly which is of course common sense essential, but very little has been done yet. How the deuce can you get the best water scheme if you don't know the values and yardage to be attached – see?

After all such dry stuff, you're an old lambie pet to send me your last letter.

Bless your sweet little heart, you do know how to put things just so I'll love you more dearly than ever. I do hope you’re feeling good these days. I mean well, not good. I want you very very badly for
your dear little self without necessarily anything you could give me in your most maddening adorable way. B and B are in excellent form. Don't worry about Blackie. I'll find a way to fix that. Don't worry
about anything at all. Damn Mrs. Ellis her under bed rudeness. It's not worth worrying about and I won't have you worry Pet, What's one disagreeable person to the numbers that really love you precious. Must go to bed. This 6 a.m. business is the Devil.

God bless you honey – night night. By the way thank the Padre for his excellent letter. You must have laid it on thick and made him think I'd done a lot more than I have he was so congratulatory.

All my dearest love dear for always your adoring Mark.

Love to Mums. I'm so glad she's so much better. Also to the others at Vesuvius and Joeykins and old man Cecil.