Close call, at the border

For about 15 years in a row, a 'gang of 6', (a couple of times 5), would load up my RV, and we'd make the 26 hour drive to Flin Flon, Manitoba, where we'd board a float plane and fly into the island cabin on Wildnest Lake, where we'd live on walleye, fried potatoes, Bush's beans, and beer for 4 days, playing LOTS of poker along the way. I'm afraid I introduced my son to a few bad habits along the way, but he seemed to enjoy himself. Every year we'd hit the border at about 2 in the morning, and most of the time Broomhilda, as we called her, thoroughly bored in her graveyard shift, would liven up her evening by messing with us. Beer is very expensive in Canada, so we'd try to save some $ by smuggling in more than the one case apiece that was allowed. Sometimes we'd make it, sometimes not. I remember one night, as she was going thru our coolers on the roof, she yelled. "Oh my God, there's beer EVERYWHERE!" Became a catch phrase for awhile. Anyway, one year, Kenny went up a couple of weeks before us, with his family, and said there was a bear on the island that scratched on the screens at night and followed them to the outhouse. For protection, I decided to pack a 9mm pistol. At the border was a new guard, a gung-ho young guy who, among other things, asked if we had any firearms. I said no, because I had heard they confiscate them and it is quite a process to get them back. He asked, "Are you sure?" I said yes. He and his buddy then ordered us all out and they began searching the inside of the RV. As I sat on the curb, thinking about the illegal smoke, as well as the hidden Jack Daniels and pistol, my only thoughts were about how long I'd go to jail for, how large would my fine be, and would they confiscate my RV? As I saw him rummage thru the luggage that held my pistol, then stop suddenly, like he'd found hidden treasure, I was REALLY bummed. But, he'd quit searching my duffel bag when he found the Jack, and BEFORE he found the 9mm. Jack saved me, no doubt about it. Luckily, Marcus had stuffed the smoke into the middle of a loaf of bread, so they didn't find that either. It made the loss of alcohol very easy to take. Will finish the story in a different post.