lay
stretched upon the snow, and still the caribou came.

The period of starvation was at an end. Comfort and plenty had appeared
at their very door.

The dogs were harnessed, and as many of the carcasses as they could use
for man and dog food were hauled down, some to Abel Zachariah's cabin
and some to Skipper Ed's. And bright and early the following morning
Abel set out to the mission station and Skipper Ed to Abraham Moses'
cabin, to bid the starving people come and help themselves and feast,
and in the end not a caribou of all those that were killed was wasted.

And so it was that the Almighty looked after these children of His, and
so He cares for His children even in the wild wastes of Labrador.

"Good luck! Good luck at last!" said Skipper Ed.

CHAPTER XIX

OFF TO THE "SENA"

And so it was that the famine ended. There was small variety for the
table, to be sure, but there was always plenty of good venison, varied
with ptarmigans, and now and again a porcupine. And after all they were
able to go to the ice edge on the winter seal hunt, and a profitable
hunt it proved.

Thus the years passed, and thus they were filled with ups and downs and
many adventures and hard work, and withal plenty of good fun, too, to
flavor them, as years are bound to be in that land of stern and active
existence.

But there was always time for study, and when Bobby was in his sixteenth
year he and Jimmy could boast of having read Caesar and Cicero and
Xenophon, and they were delving into Virgil and the Iliad. Under Skipper
Ed's tutorship Bobby had advanced as far in his studies as most boys of
his age in civilization, who have all the advantages of the best
schools. And Skipper Ed was proud of his progress, and proud of Jimmy's
progress too, as indeed he had reason to be, for neither of them was a
waster of time. There was no inducement to be laggards.

Their hearts were clean and their vision was clear. Their view was not
cut off or circumscribed by the frivolous and ofttimes vicious
amusements that stand as a wall around life's outlook in the town. Their
view and their hope were as wide as the wilderness and the sea, rugged
and stern but mighty and majestic and limitless--God's unspoiled
works--and God was a living God to them.

Bobby at this age had developed into a big, husky lad. He could drive
the dog team as well as Abel. He had already killed many seals, and he
was an excellent hunter for his years. To Abel