Troop One of the Labrador | Page 6

and
they all declared that they had never imagined that anything could be so
good. It was quite astonishing to learn that in the great world from
which Doctor Joe had come there were people who ate oranges and
apples every day of their lives if they wished them.
"'Tis strange the way the Lord fixes things," observed Thomas. "Here

now we never saw the like of oranges and apples before in all our lives,
but we has plenty of trout, and there are folks out there that has no trout
but they all has oranges and apples. We has so many trout we forgets
how fine they is, and what a blessin' 'tis we has un. And I'm thinkin' 'tis
the same with them folks about the oranges and apples."
"Yes," agreed Doctor Joe, "it's only when things are taken away from
us that we really appreciate them. Jamie, no doubt, appreciates his eyes
much more than he would have done had the mist never clouded them."
"Aye, 'tis so," said Thomas.
"I dare say," Doctor Joe suggested, "that you've never eaten potatoes or
onions?"
"No," said Thomas, "I've heard of un, but I never eats un. I never had
any to eat."
"Well," announced Doctor Joe, "I've had several sacks of potatoes and
a sack of onions and two barrels of apples shipped to Fort Pelican with
a quantity of other goods. We'll have to go with the big boat for them."
The boys and Margaret were quite beside themselves with the wonder
of it all, and Thomas was little less excited.
"We'll go for un to-morrow or the next day whatever," said Thomas.
There was one box still unopened, and the three boys were eyeing it
expectantly, when Doctor Joe exclaimed:
"Here we've left till the last the most important thing of all. Get an axe,
David, and we'll knock the cover off this box."
David had the axe in a jiffy, and when Doctor Joe removed the cover
the box was found to be filled with books.
"O-h-h!" breathed the boys in unison.
"'Tis fine! Oh, I've been wishin' and wishin' for books t' look at and

read!" exclaimed Margaret.
Doctor Joe had taught them all to read and write in the years he had
been with them, an accomplishment that not every boy and girl on The
Labrador possessed, for there were no schools there.
"There are some books to study and some to read. There are story
books and books about birds and flowers and animals. And here is
something that I know will please the boys," said Doctor Joe, drawing
from the box six paper-bound volumes. "There's an interesting story
attached to these books that I must tell you before you look at them,
and then we'll go through them together.
"One day I was walking in a park in New York.
"Suddenly I heard a crashing noise, and I hurried in the direction in
which I heard the noise, and turning a corner saw a motor-car lying on
its side. Some boys wearing khaki-coloured uniforms, very much like
soldiers' uniforms, had already reached the wreck, and before I came up
with them had rescued two injured men. I never saw more efficient or
prompt service than those boys were giving the poor men, who were
both badly hurt. They had the men stretched out upon the grass. One
had a severed artery in his arm, where the arm had been cut upon the
broken glass wind shield. The man's blood was pouring in great spurts
through the wound, but the boys were already adjusting the tourniquet,
for which they used a handkerchief, and in a minute they had the
bleeding stopped, as well as I could have done it. I've no doubt they
saved the man's life, for without prompt help he'd have bled to death in
a short time.
"The other man was cut and bruised, and the boys were making him as
comfortable as possible until an ambulance came to take him to a
hospital. There was really nothing I could do that the boys had not
already done promptly and remarkably well.
"The instant they had discovered the accident two boys had run away to
summon an ambulance and to notify the police, and in a little while an
ambulance with a surgeon and two policemen came and took the men

away.
"The boys were only about Andy's age, and I wondered at their training
and efficiency. When the ambulance had gone with the injured men I
walked a little way with the boys, and learned that they belonged to a
wonderful organization called 'Boy Scouts.' I had heard of Boy Scouts,
but I supposed it was one of the ordinary clubs where boys got together
just for play.
"I was so