New York would be fatal.

After making this announcement, Doctor Joe revealed the fact that he
had once been a great eye surgeon. With Thomas's consent he offered to
perform the operation on Jamie's eyes. Thomas had unbounded faith in
his friend. Doctor Joe operated and Jamie's sight was saved.

In curing Jamie, Doctor Joe discovered that he himself was cured, and
that he was again in possession of all his former skill. It was quite
natural, therefore, that he should wish to resume the practice of
surgery. He was an indifferent trapper, and the living that he made
following the trails amounted to a bare existence. He decided,
therefore, that it was his duty to himself to return to the work for
which, during long years of study, he had been trained.

Six weeks before Doctor Joe had sailed away on the mail boat from Fort
Pelican, bound for New York, that far distant, mysterious, wonderful
city of which he had told so many marvellous tales. Thomas had grave
doubts that they would ever see him again, though he had said that he
would some day return to visit his friends at The Jug and to see his
own little deserted cabin at Break Cove, where he had spent so many
lonely but profitable years, for it was here that he had rebuilt his
broken health. He had good reason to love the place, and he was quite
sure he had no better or truer friends in all the world than Thomas
Angus and his family.

"Thomas," said he at parting, "if I had the means to support myself I
would stay here on The Labrador and be doctor to the people that need
me, for there are folk enough that need a doctor's help up and down
the coast. But I'm a poor man, and if I stopped here I'd have to make
my living as a trapper, and you know how poor a trapper I've been all
these years. Back in New York I can do much good, and there I can live
as I was reared to live. But I'll not forget you, Thomas, and some day
I'll come to see you."

"I'm not doubtin' 'tis best you go and the Lord's will," said Thomas.
"But we'll be missin' you sore, Doctor Joe. I scarce knows how we'll
get on without you. 'Twill seem strange--almost like you were dead,
I'm fearin'."

"Thomas," and Doctor Joe's voice trembled with emotion, "there's no
one in the wide world nearer my affections than you and the boys and
Margaret. It hurts me to go, but it's best I should. I might scratch
along here for a few years, but I was not born to the work and the
time would come when I'd be a burden on s