Grit A-Plenty: A Tale of the Labrador Wild
II
THE THICKENING MIST
A Fortnight passed, after the evening when Doctor Joe had spoken toThomas of the mist in Jamie's eyes, before he appeared again at TheJug. It was early morning, and the family were at breakfast when hebreezed in, without knocking--for in that country folk do not knock asthey enter, and every one is welcome at all times.
"Well! Well!" he exclaimed. "Just in time, and I'm as hungry as an oldgrampus. What is it? Fried whitefish! Margaret, you must have expectedme and read my mind, for I'd rather have fried whitefish forbreakfast, the way you cook them, than anything else I can think of!"
"Then I'm glad I cooked un," laughed Margaret. "But you likes mostanything we _ever_ has."
"That's true, because you cook everything so well," complimentedDoctor Joe, seating himself by Jamie. "I'm not much of a cook myself,you know."
"You're a rare fine cook, now, _I_ thinks," broke in David. "I alwayslikes your cookin' when I eats un."
"Anybody's cooking is good to a husky, healthy lad like you," laughedDoctor Joe.
"We're wonderful glad t' see you, Doctor Joe," said Thomas. "I've beenwonderin', now, why you didn't come over this fortnight. The boyspulled over to Break Cove yesterday lookin' for you, fearin' you mightbe ailin'."
"And didn't find me!" exclaimed Doctor Joe, helping himself liberallyto fish. "Well, the day after I was here I left for Fort Pelican tomeet the mail boat and get some medicines that I thought I might needin the winter from the mail boat doctor, and to mail an importantletter. How have you all been?"
"Not so bad--except Jamie," said Thomas. "His eyes are growin'mistier."
"Eh!" ejaculated Doctor Joe, looking down at Jamie. "Mistier, arethey? That's what I'm here about--mostly--to see what we can do aboutthat mist. We'll have a look at the eyes pretty soon, Jamie."
"I'm thinkin' _'tis_ truly a mist fallin' thick, and holdin' thick allthe time," declared Jamie.
"We'll see about that! We'll see!" said Doctor Joe.
And after breakfast he again looked carefully into Jamie's eyes, andagain asked Jamie many, many questions, and then walked out withThomas where they could talk alone.
"And what you think'n _now_ of Jamie's eyes?" asked Thomas anxiously.
"'Tis a strange disease, and a serious one," said Doctor Joe. "Insideeverybody's eyes there's a fluid forms. When the eyes are healthy thefluid keeps working away naturally through small outlets. If theoutlets for the fluid get stopped, there's no way for it to escape,and it fills up inside until it presses on the eyes, and the sightbegins to fail, and after a time if the fluid is not let out the eyesgo blind. There's only one way to cure the complaint, and that is by adifficult and delicate operation for the purposes of opening thepassages and drawing the fluid out and relieving the pressure."
"Do you mean--cuttin' the eyes open?" asked Thomas in dismay.
"Yes," said Doctor Joe, "and the cutting has to be done just right, orit fails. I once knew a surgeon who sometimes succeeded in performingthe operation successfully, but he was in New York--a long, long wayfrom here. The letter I posted the other day in Fort Pelican was forthis doctor. I wrote to ask if he is still in New York, and if he isthere if he will operate on Jamie's eye if we take the lad to him."
"Suppose, now, he'll do the cuttin', how can we ever get Jamie to he?"asked Thomas.
"I'll take him on the mail boat. We can't get away this fall, though,for it isn't likely I'll get an answer before the Christmas mail,after the boat has made her last fall trip. But," continued DoctorJoe, "I hope Jamie's eyes will not be too misty by spring. If he loseshis sight before spring there'll be no use operating, for then thesight can't be brought back."
"And if--if the doctor cuts un--and he fails--what'll happen to Jamiethen?" asked Thomas fearfully.
"He'll be blind," said Doctor Joe. "But if the doctor doesn't do thecutting Jamie will _surely_ go blind. This is the only chance to savehis sight."
"An' supposin'," asked Thomas, "you gets no answer from the greatdoctor, will Jamie have to go blind all his life?"
"Let us hope he's there--let us pray he is," said Doctor Joe.
"But suppose--suppose he'll not be there. Be there no one else?"Thomas insisted.
"I--don't know," admitted Doctor Joe. "I don't know. Once I knewanother surgeon--a young man--who performed such operations, but hewent wrong and lost his skill and had to stop operating. I'd not liketo trust Jamie with him. But we'll hope the great doctor is in NewYork."
They stood in silence for a little.
"Poor little lad! Poor little lad!" sighed Thomas, finally.
"'Tis hard," sympathized Doctor Joe, who was fond of Jamie. "Andthere's another thing, Thomas," he continued. "You and I must catchmore fur this year than we ever caught before, for there's the mailboat and another steamer to pay the passage on, and they charge a gooddeal. Trowbridge & Gray pay good prices for fur, and pay cash. Let ushope one of us will catch a silver fox. We'll need it. I'll put in allI earn to help save Jamie's sight."
"Aye," said Thomas, "We'll do our best, and--Doctor Joe--I'm wonderfulthankful to you."
"Thomas, I owe it to you to do everything I can for Jamie, even if Ididn't want to do it so much for Jamie's own sake," and Doctor Joe'svoice was strangely husky. "You've helped cure me of a dreadfuldisease--I hope I'm cured--I pray God that I am--but I still need yourhelp and friendship to make me strong."
"Me--cure you of something?" asked Thomas, mystified. "I was nevergivin' _you_ medicine, or curin' _you_ of any ailment!"
"Yes--the best kind of medicine--your friendship--when I came here,and ever since. Some day I'll tell you about it, but not now--not yet,Thomas Angus. Now we must think of Jamie, and do our best."
"Aye, and do our best," said Thomas.
Thomas Angus had always done his best with cheerful heroism, and howhe hoped now to improve upon the best is hard to guess. Down on TheLabrador every man must do his best all of the time if he would keepthe flour barrel filled and run no debt with traders. In that sternland there can be no idling or wasting of time, and men work as thoughit were a joy, and the folk endure hardships without ever knowing theyare hardships, and are happy, too, withal. Life there is grim andreal.
Every boy and every girl, too, learns early to do his or her part,and accept what comes without complaint.
Young lad though he was, Jamie heard Doctor Joe's verdict bravely, andaccepted his affliction as one of the ups and downs of life. Until nowhe had been hoping each night when he went to sleep that when heopened his eyes in the morning he would find that the mist had liftedwhile he slept. Now this hope was gone. But there was still the hopethat some day the great doctor to whom Doctor Joe had written, wouldcut the mist away, and hope is a wonderful thing for the building ofcourage.
"Keep your grit, lad," said Thomas. "Doctor Joe says you'll find th'mist gettin' thicker and th' world growin' darker for a time, and I'mthinkin' you'll need grit a plenty. Grit's a great thing t' have--astout heart like a man's, now, and plenty o' grit, is a wonderfulhelp."
"I'll keep my grit, _what_ever," declared Jamie, "an' I'll keep myheart stout, like a man's."
"That's fine now! I'm proud o' my fine, brave lad!" encouraged Thomas."I'll be bound Doctor Joe'll find a way sooner or later, by hook or bycrook, t' lift th' mist."
The fishing season was at an end, and Thomas and the boys had made agood catch. They had nearly enough salmon and trout salted in barrelsto pay for their winter's supply of flour and pork, in barter, at thepost. This had never happened before, but this year there had been anuncommon run of salmon.
"We'll load un in th' boat and take un to the post tomorrow," saidThomas, as they sat at tea on the evening when the last barrel washeaded. "'Tis a clever catch, and we has un when we needs un th'most."
"And I hopes," said David, dipping a spoonful of molasses into histea, "'Twill be a fine year for fur, and us and Doctor Joe'll sure getth' fur t' pay for Jamie goin' for th' cure."
"Pop'll get th' fur--Pop and Uncle Joe," b
roke in Andy. "_Pop's_ awonderful hunter."
"We'll get un if 'tis t' be got," declared Thomas. "Oh, aye, we'll getun."
"There comes Doctor Joe," Andy announced, as Doctor Joe, walking upfrom the landing place, passed the window, singing in a rich tenorvoice:
"The worst of my foes are worries and woes, And all about troubles that never come true. And all about troubles that never come true. The worst of my foes are worries and woes, And all about troubles that never come true."
"I wonder, now," said Thomas, "if 'taint true--that song Doctor Joe issingin'."
Just then the door opened and in walked Doctor Joe himself.
"Always just in time!" he exclaimed.
"Set in! Set in!" said Thomas heartily, visibly cheered by DoctorJoe's coming.
"That I will," accepted Doctor Joe. "I was lonely at Break Cove alone,and I pulled over in the skiff for a chat, and to spend the night--andto have a look at Jamie's eyes."
It was always a treat to have Doctor Joe with them for a night. Whenhe and Thomas lighted their pipes in the evening, and the big boxstove was crackling cheerily, he thrilled them with stories of otherand far-off lands. Thomas was no less interested than Margaret and theboys in his wonderful tales of the great outside world, and of thegreat city in which he had once lived--of the mighty buildings thattowered high, high up into the skies--of the rushing railwaytrains--and their wonderful speed--of people so numerous that theycrowded one another on the streets, and where you might meet thousandsand thousands of people and never know one by name, and where half ahundred families might live in a single house.
"I'd like wonderful well t' have a look at un," said Thomas, "but Iwouldn't want t' have t' stay long in _such_ a place. There wouldn'tbe room t' stretch."
"No," agreed Doctor Joe, "you wouldn't care to stay there."
"And how's th' huntin'?" asked David. "Seems like there wouldn't begame enough for 'em all t' hunt, and I'm wonderin', now, how they getstheir meat."
Then Doctor Joe had to tell them about cattle and sheep, the greatstock ranges and stock yards, and how the animals were butchered andthe meat sold.
"I wouldn't want t' eat th' meat of animals I raised up like that,"declared Margaret. "'Tis wonderful hard and cruel t' tie un up likethat and kill un. They don't have a chance t' get away, like th' deerhas here."
"But there are plenty of people there," said Doctor Joe, "who eat themeat every day without giving a thought to that, but who think it verycruel to hunt and kill deer and other wild animals."
"But th' deer and wild game has a chance t' get away and savethemselves," insisted Margaret. "The poor cows and sheep don't have achance at all. There must be wonderful strange folk in th' world t'think 'tis wrong t' hunt deer."
"I'm thinkin'," suggested Thomas, "that th' Lard puts cows and sheepin th' world for people t' kill and t' eat when they needs un. 'Tisright for th' folk there t' kill th' cows and sheep t' get meat. 'Tisright for us here t' kill deer and such game as we can, t' eat. Wecouldn't live without un. 'Tis th' different ways th' Lard has ofgivin' them meat an' givin' us meat."
"That's sound reasoning," observed Doctor Joe.
And so they talked until bedtime, and then, at Thomas's request DoctorJoe read aloud from the scriptures, and Thomas offered an eveningprayer, for on The Labrador, where there are no churches, but wherefolk live near to God, their Christian faith is great, and they donot forget to give thanks for their blessings, and to worship Him.
Then Doctor Joe spread his blankets upon the floor, for in thatcountry visitors and travelers carry their beds with them, and thereis welcome and room enough for all in every house.
"I'll stay and help you load your fish," suggested Doctor Joe, whenthey had eaten breakfast the following morning. "You've two good,stout helpers, but an extra one, I take it, won't be in the way."
"'Twill be a great help," said Thomas. "The boys finds th' barrelsheavy liftin', and an extra hand would help us wonderful much."
"And get un done quicker," suggested David, "and then we'll get awayto th' post on this tide."
"All right," said Doctor Joe, "let's go to it."
Below the house Thomas had built of stones and logs a short jetty,which served as a wharf for loading and unloading his big boat. Thebarrels of fish were rolled down to the jetty, and the boat broughtalongside.
"Now," said Thomas, "'twill be easy work. Davy and Andy can roll thebarrels to us, Doctor Joe, whilst you and I lifts un down into theboat and stows un. They're a bit heavy, but we can manage withouttroubling with a rope t' lower un down, and 'twill save time."
"All right," agreed Doctor Joe. "Let them come, boys."
"Aye, feel of un and rub the numbness out"]
"Aye," laughed Davy, "we'll let un come fast as ever you and Pop canlift un."
And so they were doing well enough, and making quick work of it, untilthe last barrel came, and the boat was so crowded with cargo that thestanding room for Thomas and Doctor Joe was narrow and cramped.
"Have you a good footing there?" asked Doctor Joe, when the barrel wasbalanced on the end of the jetty and they were ready for the lift.
"'Tis all right," said Thomas, "let her come."
And then Thomas slipped, and though Doctor Joe did his best to preventit, the barrel crashed down upon Thomas's leg, and when Doctor Joe andDavid lifted it and released him, Thomas discovered that he could notstand upon the leg.
"She'll soon be all right," said Thomas. "She's just numbed a bit withthe weight."
"Let me feel of it," suggested Doctor Joe, proceeding to examine theleg.
"Aye, feel of un, and rub th' numbness out," said Thomas.
"Too bad! Too bad!" exclaimed Doctor Joe, presently. "The leg isbroken."
And so indeed it proved.
Doctor Joe and the boys carried Thomas to the house and laid him inhis bunk. Then Doctor Joe cut some sticks of proper length and sizeand wrapped them with pieces of old blanket, and with David's helpset the leg and deftly bound the splints into place with bandageswhich Margaret had quickly prepared under his direction as he worked.
"There you are," he said, finally, standing up and surveying his work."Does it feel comfortable, Tom?"
"Not so bad," answered Thomas. "Will th' lashin's hold, now?"
"I'll warrant that!" assured Doctor Joe.
"And is she like t' be straight and stout again when she heals?" askedThomas anxiously.
"Straight and stout as ever she was," promised Doctor Joe, "but you'llhave to lie still for a month or six weeks, and then you'll be oncrutches for a time. I'll look after you, Tom."
"And I can't go to my trappin' grounds, then, before th' New Year,_what_ever?" Thomas asked anxiously.
"No--not before the New Year--whatever--nor after the New Year--notthis winter--I'm afraid," said Dr. Joe, reluctantly.
A shadow passed over Thomas's face, but he said nothing.
"I'm sorry," sympathized Doctor Joe.
"'Twere a blessin' you were here t' mend un," said Tom.
"Yes," agreed Doctor Joe, "it was well I was here to set it."
"I wouldn't mind so much if 'tweren't for Jamie," continued Thomas."How, now, can we ever get th' money t' pay th' lad's way t' have th'great doctor cure him?"
But this was a question Doctor Joe could not answer, and he was sorelytroubled.
"Pop," said Jamie, who had come close to his father's bed, "we'll keepour grit, both of us, now."
"Aye, lad, we'll keep our grit, you and me," and there was a choke inThomas's voice as he reached for Jamie's hand, which Jamie gave himafter passing it before his eyes in a vain effort to brush the mistaway, which was a habit with him of late.