me, where dolls and other toys are
lavished upon the children, and they accept them as a matter of course,
and soon cast the old ones aside for the new, no such joy as that which
Violet experienced is possible. She was at that moment certainly the
happiest little girl in all The Labrador, and perhaps in all the world.
And for many years to come that doll was to be her most precious
possession. No other could ever take its place. She talked to it and
loved it as though it were human, and alive, and to her it was indeed a
living thing. She told it all her joys, and went to it for comfort in
all her sorrows.

What exclamations of appreciation there were when Toby produced the
ancient "sweets" that he had purchased from Skipper Blink! They were as
hard and ordinary and stale as ever candies could be, and at home
Charley could not have been tempted to taste them. But here even he
pronounced them excellent, and to the others they were indeed a rare
treat.

Just as Mrs. Twig announced supper one evening a week after the boys had
returned from their trip to Deer Harbour and their adventure with the
bear and on the ice, the door unexpectedly opened and there stood
Skipper Zeb in the lamplight, laughing heartily at the fine surprise he
had given them.

Violet ran to him and threw her arms around him, and every one gathered
about him in joyful welcome, while he picked ice from his eyelashes and
his beard, and chuckled contentedly:

"Well, now! Here we be, safe and sound and snug! Everybody well and
happy! 'Tis wonderful fine to be back."

"'Tis wonderful fine to have you back!" Mrs. Twig declared, and
everybody echoed the sentiment.

When he had taken his things off, and properly greeted every one, and
Toby and Charley had unpacked his toboggan and carried into the house
his winter's catch of pelts and his traveling equipment, he turned to
Charley.

"Well, now!" said he. "You looks like a Labradorman! And how does you
like livin' at Double Up Cove? 'Twere a proper way to get out of that
fix you gets in when the mail boat leaves you, I'm thinkin', from the
way you looks! Rugged and well! And everybody happy!"

"I've had the best time this winter I ever had in my life," Charley
declared.

"Well, now! That's the way to talk! That's the way to make the best of a
bad job! 'Twere lookin' like a wonderful bad job you makes of un, and a
wonderful bad fix you gets in, when the mail boat goes and leaves you.
But you gets out of