_In Which Doctor Luke and Billy Topsail Go North, and at Candlestick
Cove, Returning, Doctor Luke Finds Himself Just a Bit Peckish_
A rumour came to Our Harbour, by the tongue of a fur-trader, who stopped
over night at Doctor Luke's hospital, on his way to the South, that
there was sickness in the North--some need or other; the fur-trader was
not sure what. Winter still lingered. The mild spell, which had
interrupted the journey of Billy Topsail and Teddy Brisk across Schooner
Bay, had been a mere taste of spring. Hard weather had followed.
Schooner Bay was once more jammed with ice, which had drifted
back--jammed and frozen solid; and the way from Our Harbour to Tight
Cove was secure. Teddy Brisk was ready to be moved; and this being so,
and the lad being homesick for his mother, and the rumour of need in the
North coming down--all this being so, Doctor Luke determined all at once
to revisit the northern outports for the last time that winter.
"Are you ready for home, Teddy?" said he.
"I is that, sir!"
"Well," Doctor Luke concluded, "there is no reason why you should not be
home. I'll harness the dogs to-morrow and take you across Schooner Bay
on the komatik."
"Billy Topsail comin', sir?"
"What say, Billy?"
"May I go, sir?"
"You may."
"All the way, sir?"
"All the way!" cried Doctor Luke. "Why, boy, I'm going north to----"
"Please, sir!"
"Well, well! If you've the mind. Come along, boy. I'll be glad to have
you."
Teddy Brisk was taken across Schooner Bay and restored to his mother's
arms. And Doctor Luke and Billy Topsail drove the dogs north on Doctor
Luke's successful round of visits.
* * * * *
It was on the return journey that Doctor Luke and Billy Topsail fell in
with the Little Fiddler of Amen Island. At Candlestick Cove they were to
feed the dogs and put up for the night. It was still treacherous March
weather; and the night threatened foul--a flurry of snow falling and
the sky overcast with a thickening drab scud. Day was done when Doctor
Luke and Billy Topsail crawled out of the timber and scurried down Twist
Hill. In the early dusk the lights were already twinkling yellow and
warm in the cottages below; and from the crest of the long hill, in the
last of the light, Amen Island was visible, an outlying shadow, across
Ships' Run.
There were still sixty miles left of Doctor Luke's round--this second
winter round from Our Harbour to the lonely huts of Laughter Bight,
thirty miles north of Cape Blind, touching all the harbours between, and
by way of Thunder Tickle and Candlestick Cove, which lay midway, back to
the shaded lamp and radiant open fire of the little surgery at Our
Harbour.
As the dogs scurried down Twist Hill, whimpering and snarling, eager to
make an end of a hard day, Doctor Luke visioned those wintry miles and
reflected upon the propriety of omitting a call at Amen Island.
Doctor Luke and Billy Topsail drew up at Mild Jim Cull's.
"Skipper James," said Doctor Luke, in the kitchen, across the lamp-lit,
devastated supper table, an hour later, "what's the health of Amen
Island?"
"They're all well, sir--so far as I knows."
"All well? Just my luck! Then I won't----"
"Amanda," Skipper James admonished his wife, in a grieved whisper, "the
Doctor is wantin' another cup o' tea."
The good woman was astonished.
"He've had----" she began.
Then she blushed--and grasped the pot in a fluster--and----
"Thank you--no more," the Doctor protested.
"Ah, now, sir----"
"No more. Really, you know! I've quite finished. I--well--I--if you
please, Mrs. Cull. Half a cup. No more. Thank you."
"An' Billy Topsail, too," said Skipper James.
Billy was abashed.
"No--really!" he began. "I--well--thank you--half a cup!"
"All fit an' well, sir, as I says," Skipper James repeated, relieved,
now resuming his conversation with Doctor Luke--"so far as I knows."
"Anybody come across Ships' Run lately?"
"Well, no, sir--nobody but ol' Jack Hulk. Another slice o' pork,
Doctor?"
The youngest little Cull tittered, astounded:
"He've had----"
Amanda covered the youngest little Cull's lips just in time with a soft
hand.
"Thank you--no," the Doctor protested again. "I'm quite finished.
Nothing more--really! Well," he yielded--"if you will----"
"You, too, Billy Topsail?" said Skipper James.
"Nothing more, really!" Billy replied, with a grin. And then: "Well--if
you will----"
"No; nobody but ol' Jack Hulk," said Skipper James to Doctor Luke.
"Jack Hulk, you say? Hm-m. When was that?"
"I don't rightly remember, sir. 'Twas less than a fortnight ago. I'll
lay t' that much."
"And all well over there?"
"No report o' sickness, sir. Have another cut o' bread, sir, while
you're about it."
The Doctor lifted his hand.
"No--really," said he, positively. "No more. Well--I--if you please.
Thank you. I seem to be just a bit peckish to-night."
"A cut o' bread, Billy?" said Skipper James.
Billy lifted his hand.
"Not a bite!" he protested. And he winked. "Ah, well," he yielded,
"might as well, I 'low. Really, now, I _is_ jus' a bit peckish the
night."
"No; no report o' sickness on Amen," Skipper James repeated, resuming
his conversation, as before.
"Quite sure about that?"
"Well, sir," Skipper James replied, his gray eyes twinkling, "I asked
ol' Jack Hulk, an' he said, 'All well on Amen Island. The Lord's been
wonderful easy on us this winter. I'd almost go so far as t' say,' says
he, 'that He've been lax. We've had no visitation o' the Lord,' says he,
'since the fall o' the year. We don't deserve this mercy. I'm free t'
say that. We isn't been livin' as we should. There's been more frivolity
on Amen Island this winter than ever afore in my time. It haven't been
noticed so far,' says he. 'That's plain enough. An' so as yet,' says he,
'we're all well on Amen Island.'"
The Doctor grinned.
"What's the ice on Ships' Run?" said he.
"'Tis tumbled, sir. The bread's at your elbow, sir."
"Thank you. Dogs?"
"No, sir. Ships' Run's jammed with floe ice. A man would have t' foot it
across. You bound over, sir?"
Doctor Luke deliberated.
"I think not," said he, then. "No." This was positive. "If they're all
as well as that on Amen Island I'll get away for Our Harbour at noon
to-morrow. No; no more--really. I--well--I'm almost wolfish, I declare.
Thank you--if you please--just a sma-a-all----"
Billy Topsail burst out laughing.
"What's this mirth?" cried the Doctor.
"Well, sir," Billy chuckled, "you _is_ jus' a _bit_ peckish the night,
sir!"
There was a burst of laughter. At that moment, however, in a cottage on
Amen Island, across Ships' Run, nobody was laughing--least of all the
Little Fiddler of Amen Island.