THE MOTOR BOAT 



he would trot to fetch them, and then over the beach 

 to haul the little punt inshore ; and by the time I 

 got to the water's edge he was in his place with the 

 two oars in his baby hands, and a smile of utter con- 

 tent on his fat, round face. Sometimes, when there 

 was a breeze blowing, it seemed a shame to let the 

 little fellow row ; but once when I took the oars 

 away, he cried so piteously that I had no choice but 

 to sit in idleness in the stern and watch the lusty 

 little arms tug away. 



He always " helped " to get the anchor up, and 

 then wanted to take his turn at the wheel ; but I 

 deprived him of this last honour after he had grazed 

 the side of the buoy that marks our Okak reef, and 

 had given me my one and only view of the jagged 

 rocks within a few feet of our planks. 



Faithful little Benjie ! His stolid face and gleam- 

 ing eyes come to my mind every time I think of the 

 Okak motor-boat, and so I have given him a place in 

 my chronicle of the starting of a Mission hospital 

 among the Eskimo hunters of Labrador. 



306 



