Lost in a Far Country by Thomas L Daniel

Author:Thomas L Daniel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Adventure, Canoeing, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
ISBN: 978-1-56474-822-5
Publisher: Daniel & Daniel Publishers
Published: 2018-10-14T16:00:00+00:00

8. Storm

The outfitters was a place of much activity when Jack arrived at the scheduled morning hour of eight. The place was busy. Morning starts early here, he thought. At the counter, he pulled out his wallet and paid for the supplies he had ordered, as well as four-day’s canoe rental.

“There’s a five hundred dollar deposit for the canoe,” Arnie told him. “I can take Visa or MasterCard for that.”

Jack produced the debit card Mollie had provided for him. Arnie wrote out a receipt. “I’ll keep this charge slip here in my desk. I’ll hold it until you return. Then I’ll charge the daily rental. If there is any damage to the canoe, we’ll decide how much how much you might have to pay for the damage.”

“How much is a canoe like this worth?” Jack asked.

“Well, I’ll sell you this one for five hundred, but you couldn’t take it away on that VW you’re driving. This is a fiber glass canoe. Sturdy and tough. Hard to damage. Good for me to rent. Kevlar canoes are lighter, but not as rugged. If you want to buy a canoe, I can get a Kevlar one for you.”

“So, if it turns out that I like canoeing, I could just keep this one and not return it. You wouldn’t lose any money.”

“Well, I guess, but that would be stupid. The canoes I rent here get a lot of hard wear. I could get you a somewhat newer one for the same money.”

“No thanks. At least, not for now. Maybe I’ll really like canoeing, then maybe later.”

“The drive out to the lake is twenty-five dollars. You can pay Andy when you get there. He’ll be driving you out.”

“Okay. That works.”

Jack returned to his car. He took the registration and signed title out of the glove box and put them on the passenger seat along with the keys. They would make it possible for Arnie to take possession of the car when Jack failed to return. A pretty fair trade for a canoe, he thought. He left the VW unlocked.

Jack and Arnie collected the two packs of gear and food, an axe and a trenching tool, and a Coleman camp stove and gasoline. They carried them out to a waiting pick-up truck. Jack shook hands with Arnie. “I’ll be back in four days.”

“Good. We’ll see you then. Have a good trip.”

While Jack watched, Andy, apparently the worker-bee at the outfitter’s, lifted a canoe off of a rack at the side of the building and carried it to the pick-up, which was fitted with a canoe rack of two-by-four lumber. He eased the canoe into place and tied it down. Canoe paddle, life jacket, and Jack’s gear went into the back of the pick-up under the canoe. “Climb in,” Andy said, “and we’ll be off.”

“In a minute. I want to make a call first.”

Jack walked away from the truck and called Marilyn. He reached her in the library. “I’m about to take off and cross into Minnesota by canoe,” he told her.

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