nvitation of Skipper Tom to spend the night at his home.

It was still early in the season and icebergs were plentiful enough,
as, indeed, they are the whole summer long. They are always a menace
to cod traps, for should a berg drift against a trap, that will be the
end of the trap forever. Fishermen watch their traps closely, and if
an iceberg comes so near as to threaten it the trap must be removed to
save it. A little lack of watchfulness leads to ruin.

"The trap's well set," said Skipper Tom, when Doctor Grenfell inquired
concerning it. "The ice is keepin' clear, but I watches close."

"What are the signs of fish?" asked the Doctor.

"Fine!" said Skipper Tom. "The signs be _wonderful_ fine."

"I hope you'll have a big year."

"There's a promise of un," Skipper Tom grinned happily. "The trap's
sure to do fine for us."

But nobody knows from one day to another what will happen on The
Labrador.

According to habit Skipper Tom was up bright and early on Sunday
morning and went for a look at the trap. When presently he returned
to join Doctor Grenfell at breakfast he was plainly worried.

"There's a berg driftin' down on the trap. We'll have to take her in,"
he announced.

"But 'tis Sunday," exclaimed his wife. "You'll never be workin' on
Sunday."

"Aye, 'tis Sunday and 'tis against my principles to fish on the
Sabbath day. I never did before, but 'tis to save our cod trap now.
The lads and I'll not fish. We'll just haul the trap."

"The Lard'll forgive _that, what_ever," agreed his wife.

Skipper Tom went out when he had eaten, but it was not long until he
returned.

"I'm not goin' to haul the trap today," he said quietly and
decisively. "There are those in this harbor," he added, turning to
Doctor Grenfell, "who would say, if I hauled that trap, that 'twould
be no worse for them to fish on Sunday than for me to haul my trap.
Then they'd go fishin' Sundays the same as other days, and none of un
would keep Sunday any more as a day of rest, as the Lard intends us to
keep un, and has told us in His own words we must keep un. I'll not
haul the trap this day, though 'tis sore hard to lose un."

For a principle, and because he was well aware of his influence upon
the folk of the settlement, Skipper Tom had made his decision to
sacrifice his cod trap and the earnings of his lifetime. His
conscience told him it would be wrong to do a thing that might lead
others to do wrong. When our conscience tells us it i