BEDS FOR THE HOSPITAL 



I felt sure in my own mind that it was only 

 Veronica's first thought, and that after a little 

 deliberation and a few discussions in the houses she 

 and all the rest of the people would see the sense in 

 these beds. 



I laughed at Veronica, and told her " Tukkisilar- 

 potit " (you will understand), and with that she was 

 content and went singing back to her work. 



I sometimes wondered, as I worked with Peter 

 and David at the laying of linoleum on the ward 

 floors, and the fitting up of these bedsteads, how 

 the Eskimos would take to the novelty of hospital 

 treatment and hospital discipline. 



It seemed rather a puzzle, for the more I saw of 

 the Eskimos the more I knew them to be sticklers 

 for their own customs and ways; and the more I 

 talked to them the oftener I heard one or the other 

 say, "We are different from the Kablunaks 

 (Europeans)." 



Before many days were past men were coming to 

 say "So-and-so is ill: may we bring him to 

 hospital?" and when, a few months later, the sea 

 was frozen and travelling was possible from station 

 to station over the ice, sledges began to come from 

 Hebron and Nain, and even further, bringing sick 

 and injured folks to occupy those beds. 



The fortitude that some of these long-distance 

 travellers displayed was simply marvellous. Young 

 Jerry, at Hebron, when he stumbled among the dogs 

 and got his leg smashed by the oncoming sledge, 

 elected to ride the sixty rough miles to Okak 

 stretched upon the hard floor of a travelling sledge. 

 The lad was evidently profiting by his father's 



example, for he told me how, some time previously, 



275 



