CHAPTER IV 



THE LITTLE CARPENTER 



We left our four young men busy at the building 

 of their house ; taking turns, no doubt, to fish from 

 the rocks, or to go hunting for a chance hare or 

 ptarmigan or even a seal or bear. 



We can imagine them waking in the morning, 

 and running eagerly to the garden patch to see how 

 the seeds were faring. We can picture them sitting 

 in the evenings, talking of friends and of home, and 

 planning their future work among the Eskimos, or 

 chatting with the good people of the schooner over 

 the doings of the voyage. Days passed, the house 

 was nearly finished, the night frosts were keen, and 

 summer was drawing to a close, and the captain of 

 the Hope felt that it was time for him to set his 

 course for home. 



Accordingly, good-byes were said ; and the four 

 young men stood upon the hill and watched the 

 Hope slide slowly out of sight. 



Like the practical men that they were, they 

 settled to the finishing of their house ; they turned 

 again to their fishing and hunting, replenishing 

 their scanty larder and laying in provisions for the 

 winter. 



And again we can imagine them sitting round 

 their stove in the evenings, reading their Bible by 



31 



