sn't fit to eat and they're always
thrown away. That is cruel."

"I never thought of un that way. I've killed loons too," David
confessed, "but I'll never shoot at a loon again. 'Tis the same with
gulls and other things we never uses when we kills, and just shoot at
for fun."

"That's the idea," said Doctor Joe enthusiastically. "Now what do you
think about killing hen partridges in summer?"

"We can kill pa'tridges, can't we?" asked David. "We always eats un,
and you said we could kill un."

"But we've got to use our heads about it," Doctor Joe explained. "I'm
talking now about _hen_ partridges in _summer_. They always have
broods of little partridges then. If you kill the mother all the
little ones die, for they're too small to take care of themselves. Do
you think that's right?"

"I never thought of un before," said David. "'Tis wicked to kill un!
I'll never kill a hen pa'tridge in summer again! Not me!"

"We'll have to be tellin' everybody in the Bay about that!" declared
Andy. "Nobody has ever thought about the poor little uns starvin' and
dyin'!"

"That'll be doing good scout work," Doctor Joe commended. "That's one
way you'll be useful as scouts here in Labrador. Not only will you be
showing kindness to the mother and little partridges, but if the
mother is permitted to live and raise her brood, all the little birds
will be full grown by winter, and it will make that many more
partridges that can be used for food when food is needed."

When presently Jamie announced that it was "'most noon" and he was
"fair starvin'," and the others suddenly discovered that they were
hungry too, a fire was lighted in the stove and a cosy lunch of fried
pork and bread, and hot tea sweetened with molasses, was eaten with an
appetite and relish such as only those can enjoy who live in the open.
Then, with growing interest the lads returned to their scout books,
and camping time came almost before they were aware.

The sun was drooping low in the west when David, indicating a low,
wooded point, said:

"That's Flat P'int. There's good water there and 'tis a fine camping
place."

"Then we'll camp there," Doctor Joe agreed.

"Look! Look!" exclaimed Andy, as the boat approached the shore.
"There's a porcupine!"

Following the direction in which Andy pointed, a fat porcupine was
discovered high up in a spruce tree feeding upon the tender branches
and bark.

"Shall we have un for supper?" Andy asked excitedly.

"Aye,"