A Trip to Manitoba | Page 9

an
equally dirty baby, came in. Looking about her, and not finding a
vacant seat, she said in an insolent tone, giving her head a toss--
"No seats? Wall, I guess I ain't agoin' to stand and hold this here heavy
child!" and sat down in my lap. I had, like most people, often been "sat
upon," figuratively, during my life, but never literally, and it was with
some difficulty that I managed to extricate myself. The girl next
proceeded, with the assistance of a dirty pocket-handkerchief and the
tin drinking-mug belonging to the car, to perform her toilet and that of
her infant; her efforts resulting in a streakiness of dirt on both faces,
where the colour had been uniform before.
We were on the Prairie--the great rolling prairie, at last; and I was
disappointed--nothing but grass and sky, desolate and lonely. These,
however, were my first impressions. How fond I grew of the prairie I
know now that I am away from it; perhaps for ever. Towards night,
black clouds gathered in the sky, and distant thunder heralded the
coming of one of those great storms for which the prairie is so famous.
The air was so charged with electricity that the train had to be stopped
several times, and the wheels of the cars drenched with water to prevent
their taking fire. As night closed in, incessant flashes of white sheet
lightning almost blinded us. Each white flash was riven by red forks of
flame, until, with the horizon one constant blaze, the plain seemed a
vast sea of fire. Over our heads, in great zigzag lines, shot the fire fluid,
as the thunder rattled, roared, crashed, and broke around us; then, in a
momentary lull, came torrents of rain, rushing madly across the sward,

and drowning the noise of the fast-flying train, as if some fiend upon a
diabolical errand were borne through the warring elements. It seemed
as though two or three storms had met, to contend for mastery; flashes
of white, yellow, and red lightning outdid each other in brilliancy, and
peals of thunder, near and distant, reverberated in quick succession. No
one who has not encountered a rain-storm on the prairie can form an
idea of its grandeur and force.
During a short lull in the storm, we stopped at a place called
Crookstown for tea, following a touter for the "_Ho_-tel" there--or
rather a railway lantern, as the darkness completely hid the
man--through mud and water up to our ankles; over stumps and sticks;
through a dilapidated gateway, stoup, and wash-house, to a long, low
room, where the table was laid for tea. Seated round it on benches,
chairs, three-legged stools--in fact, on anything they could get hold
of--were the engine-driver, conductor, express-man, and other officials.
The meal consisted of bread and butter, potatoes boiled in their jackets,
fried bacon swimming in fat, and scalding tea in handleless cups.
Asking for eggs, we were told there was not one to be had in the
"town." Query, what is a town? Crookstown could not boast of half a
dozen houses besides the station.
Another hour's journey brought us to Fisher's Landing, on Red Lake
River, where we were to remain until next morning. Although the boat
was at the landing, we were not allowed to go on board until all the
freight was shipped. This intelligence was given us by a rakish-looking
Yankee, who added that his "_Ho_-tel" was the best in the place, and if
we would come "right along" he would give us rooms for the night.
Gathering up our traps, and thinking we could not do much worse than
remain in the crowded car all night, we followed, paddling through the
mud to the much-boasted "_Ho_-tel." This was a house built of boards,
the entrance room or office having a high desk or counter across one
corner; a recess under the stairs in the other containing a bench, on
which were ranged two or three pails and a basin, while on the wall
hung the general towel, looking rather the worse for wear. A room
opening from the recess had a table set like the one at Crookstown,
apparently for breakfast; the floors were literally covered with mud.

What, we surmised, can the bedrooms be like in such a place? Our
question was only too soon answered. Presently a shaggy-headed,
untidy woman made her appearance, hastily fastening her clothes. She
was very cross, and grumbled that there were only two rooms, but that
she would take one of us in with her (an offer which was politely
declined), and snappishly ordered a man to show the way upstairs.
Clambering up a steep flight of steps after our conductor and his lantern,
we were ushered into a room containing a bed--which had all