bide there till a breeze
comes, and see un."

In accordance with the suggestion Doctor Joe turned the boat inside
the island, and there, on the mainland in the edge of a little
clearing and not a hundred yards distant, stood Lem Horn's cabin. It
was a secluded and peculiarly lonely spot, hidden by the island from
the few boats that plied the Bay. Here lived Lem Horn and his wife and
two sons, Eli, a young man of twenty-one years, and Mark, nineteen
years of age.

"There's no smoke," observed Jamie.

"Maybe they're all down to Fort Pelican getting their winter outfit,"
suggested David.

"There seems to be no one about but the dogs," said Doctor Joe, as he
stepped ashore with the painter and made it fast, while Lem's big
sledge dogs, lolling in the sun, watched them curiously.

Visitors do not knock in Labrador. The cabins are always open to
travellers whether or not the host is at home. Andy was in advance,
and opening the door he stopped on the threshold with an exclamation
of horror.

Stretched upon the floor lay Lem Horn, his face and hair smeared with
blood, and on the floor near him was a small pool of blood. A chair
was overturned, and Lem's legs were tangled in a fish-net.

Doctor Joe leaned over the prostrate figure.

"Shot," said he, "and from behind!"

"Does you mean somebody shot he?" asked David, quite horrified.

"Yes, and it must have happened yesterday," said Doctor Joe.

[Illustration: STRETCHED UPON THE FLOOR LAY LEM HORN]

CHAPTER V

LEM HORN'S SILVER FOX

"He's alive, and this doesn't look like a bad wound," said Doctor Joe
after a brief examination. "David, put a fire in the stove and heat
some water! Andy, find some clean cloths! Jamie, bring up my medicine
kit from the boat!"

The boys hurried to carry out the directions, while Doctor Joe made a
more careful examination and discovered a second wound in Lem's back,
just below the right shoulder.

"Both shots from the back," he mused. "This wound explains his
condition. The one in the head only scraped the skull, and couldn't
have more than stunned him for a short time. The other has caused a
good deal of bleeding and may be serious."

With David's help Doctor Joe carried Lem to his bunk and removed his
outer clothing.

The water in the kettle on the stove was now warm enough for Doctor
Joe's purpose. He poured some of it into a dish, and after dissolving
in it some antiseptic tablets, cleansed and temporarily dressed