RAPID INN

CHAPTER TEN:

THE CONCLUSION

We had narrowly escaped the moose encounter with our lives there are many stories of people loosing their lives when confronting moose especially when defending their young or if they feel threatened in any way we were damn lucky. True to Bob’s map and it’s directions we had an easy portage across flat ground and since we had no surplus food to hinder us with extra weight in no time at all it was time to put the canoe back in the water. I had even left behind the extra large pot we had found to cook the beaver stew I figured someone else might need it so I had left it at the portage by Rapid Inn for another traveller. When we reached the lake it was calm and mirror like the trees and sky reflected in it’s almost unmoving surface, no need for the outrigger here. We left that dry log that had surely saved our life in that windy lake crossing by the side of this the last lake we had to cross before reaching the Lands and Forests building.

It was a beautiful lake though we had many adventures on our 300 mile journey we were now both looking forward to getting back home so we put our canoe onto that calm lake and paddled across, it didn’t take very much time as there was barely any resistance or current it seemed and soon we were approaching the Lands and Forests building. We could see it from a long way off as there was a float plane attached to a dock and we paddled towards it as if it were a beacon from a lighthouse. I was excited about getting my car back and sharing our stories with the guys at the beer parlour. As we got closer to the dock we noticed there were a few people milling around on the dock and then we recognized the trader canoe and the three men I had shot at to scare away on that Island.

The men had opened up their heavy parcels and were taking out large furs for the examining eyes of buyers. I realized then and there that the men had been more scared of us at the time as they were trying to protect their furs. I thought for sure they were killers or criminals, I had been terribly wrong, they were just fur traders. We quickly collected our thoughts and realized that they had never seen me as I was hidden in the bushes and that Bob should put on his red jacket and hat which he had not been wearing when they saw him. We pulled up our canoe alongside theirs and there wasn’t the faintest whiff of recognition. We both breathed a sigh of relief as they had cause to report us since I had shot at them.

We went into the building and Bob phoned his waiter friend to come pick us up. I was watching Bob’s face as he spoke over the phone and it suddenly fell and his skin went pale, I had a sick feeling in my stomach as Bob looked directly at me, had a member of my family fallen sick or died? Bob hung up and approached me cautiously. It turned out there was a fatality, my poor model A, the negligent waiter had forgotten to fill up the oil (like I had specifically told him to do) and the engine had seized up and cracked the engine block. Bob told me the waiter had to get it dropped off at the dump, so that was the last I ever saw of my dear model A Ford. I tell you it was the first time since the end of the war that I wanted to use my gun to kill a man.

I found this picture of a derelict model A and I think it depicts my mindstate at the time.

Note to the reader:

I was curious about Rapid Inn as it seemed like such a dream to have found that place so I asked one of the land and forest officers and told me that he knew about the place but that they like to keep it under wraps and discourage people from heading there from that side of the lake but that they can’t stop people from getting there from the opposite side. We were damn lucky to have found it it seems. He continued on to say that the rumour was that a member of parliament had had it build with government money and being a bachelor when he died from a heart attack he had no one to will it to, then the end of the First War came in 1918 and no one knew of it, it became a ghost camp a building locked in time. The people that came upon it always left it in good shape but everyone tried to keep it as secret as they could. I was lucky to find it that one time but I never went back and never told the story to anyone until now. It has been oh so many years I hope it still stands and is still in such good repair.

Once was:                                                                                         Now as is:

                                         

Here is the novel I wrote about my wartime experiences the picture on the cover is what I would have looked like during the trip to Rapid Inn, If anyone is interested you can purchase my books on amazon.com or press this link.

http://www.amazon.com/Piper-Rear-Other-Stories-Life/dp/1484005759/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402696632&sr=8-1&keywords=piper+to+the+rear

-Dacker Thicke