POn^BT AMD STREAM. V 
206 
medicine, she turned the urchin flat stdc'iip and applied its 
jaws to the wound until it caught hold oi" the skui. Then 
she stood like a waduig bird on one hg until the urchin 
had, as she explained the opei'atiori. sucked out all the 
poison and dropped of¥. When this had been accom- 
plished, she picked up a slab of coral and smashed the 
iicrhin and ended by eating its meat, all being necessary 
lo the treatment. After this accident she could fish no 
more, and we slowly waded back to store. For her kind- 
ness in shoAving me the mysteries of torching fish on the 
reef, I opened my creel and gave her all my catch except 
the big mullet. That I felt I was fairly entitled to. 
The only thing in this fishery which shows the least 
infiuence of the foreigner is the use of the umbrella rib 
in the spear. Before the foreigners came to Samoa with 
their umbrellas to displace the aboriginal rain shield of a 
banana leaf, the fish spears were tipped with the barbed 
thorn of one of the indigenous shrubs found everywhere 
at the edge of the bush. The thorn was just as good for 
piercing the fish, and the barb held them as well as the 
wire toggle, but the thorns soon broke if they hit the coral. 
On the return to shore, Tanoa was awakened to clean 
the mullet and to salt it to secure its keeping over night. 
While he was at his task he kept up a running com- 
ntentary of flattering congratulations on my skill with the 
spear, as shown by my wing shot at the fish in air. But 
the next morning when we had the fish for breakfast, my 
graceless Talolo came around and sat on the floor of our 
dining room in the shady corner of the veranda and 
•developed a long chain of logical demonstration in proof 
that, as usual, he shotild have a tin of something. The 
gist of his argument was that inasmuch as I had "shown 
that I could go out on the reef to catch the family meals 
like any other woman, there was less need for hoarding 
our .supply of provisions in tin cans, and on that account 
we could all the more readily spare him some salmon or 
corned beef or even sardines, and perhaps throw in a can 
of jam. 
And this was the sentiment of Talolo. without who.se 
aid I should never have shouldered my bundle of torches 
and tried the night fishing on the reef. It is only one of 
the many reasons I had for feeling that Talolo was not 
altogether disinterested in his attentions to me. 
Llewella Pierce Churchill. 
Concerning the Doctor. 
We had pitched our camp near Middle Inlet, on the 
same side of the lake as Hogarth's. The other two J.'s 
were along this time. It was only their second year of 
wedded bliss, but the longing for the woods and V'the 
smell o' the pines" had attacked them with such force 
that they had invented excuses, and resorted to subter- 
fuges in order to escape for a few weeks from the re- 
stricted charms of connubial Joy. 
Jim claimed he was threatened with nervous prostra- 
tion, due to overwork, and Jack was in a very bad way 
with a combination of something he called malarial hay 
fever. Neither gave evidence of the ravages of disease. 
■>but they explained by saying that they believed in taking 
;a thing like that in time, that the disease was really lying 
fdormant in their .system ready to wake up and go to 
work at any moment. 
I had given thetn three years to arrive at this stage of 
tlie game. It generally takes that long. I knew that the 
next year they would not stoop to underhand methods. 
When the proper time came they would simply "go north 
for a little rest," and Mrs. Jack and Mrs. Jim would 
each give a sigh of relief at having them out of the way 
during housed eaning time. It is good to profit hy other 
people's experience. I am still unmarried. 
"I met the Doctor a week or so ago," Jim announced 
one evening — our third or fourth in camp. 
"W^iat was he doing?" asked Jack. • 
"Same old thing. Exploiting some great idea and 
loafing. I told him about this trip, and he said he would 
like to come along, but was too busy."' 
"The Doctor is all right in civilization," said Jack, 
"but he's a devil of a nuisance in the woods. He is like 
an irresponsible kid. Remember how he waa always losing 
himself that last time?" 
"You can forgive him much, though." I remarked, "be- 
cause he is such good company." 
"True." assented Jack. "He is great sport, and I 
■wouldn't mind a week or so of him. I'll bet any man a 
•dollar he will show up yet." 
"I'll take you," said Jim. "He can't raise the price of 
the fare up here. Here, Joe. You hold the stakes." 
The next day Jack won the bet, but, as things trans- 
pired, not the stakes. It was late in the forenoon — almo'st 
dinner time — when we heard the rattle and rumble of a 
wagon over on the old disused corduroy road that passed 
our camp not a great distance away. T'he soixnd brought 
us all to attention. We heard the wagon stop, and then a 
call — a long-drawn out "Whoop-e-e." 
"That's the Doctor," Jack exclaimed. "I told you he'd 
be along. Y'^ou lose, Jim." 
"Are you sure?" asked Jim. 
"Sure as the dollar you lost. I would recognize that 
call in Africa." 
We answered the Doctor with a chorus of loud war 
whoops, and went forward to meet him. We espied him 
in the distance, seated in th'e lumber wagon that had 
brought him thus far, and evidently engaged in an alter- 
. cation with the driver. 
"He doesn't seem in any great hurry to meet us," Jim 
3-emarked. 
"It's his way." said Jack. "He is probably trying to 
rememBer why he came." 
The Doctor saluted us with a graceful wave of the 
hand as we drew near. 
"I am trying to convince this man here'," lie explained, 
indicating the driA^er, . "that two dollars is an exorbitant 
price to charge for bringing me over from the junction. 
He insists on two fifty." 
"I*m derned ef I'll take a cent less," the man interposed. 
"It's wuth two fifty ef it's wuth a cent. I ain't drivin' 
folks 'round fer my health, mister." 
"You see," said the Doctor looking griieyedl. "his mind 
is not open to conviction, and arguments are wasted. If 
one of you will loan me a couple of dollars I will settle 
with him. Fifty cents is all the change I heive." 
Jack and I exchanged winks, and I pruduce<l the stake 
money and handed n over lo the Doctor, lie paid the 
driver, and climbed down from the wagon and shook 
hands all around. 
"Where arc j'our traps?" Jack inquired, peering in the 
wagon. 
"My baggage? Oh, I didn't bring any. Did'nt want 
to be bothered with it. Just thought 1 would .spend a few- 
days with you and get a little rest. I brought some wet 
groceries along that 1 thought might come in handy." He 
nshed around under the wagon seat and brought out a 
siispicious looking package. "I can't vouch for the quality 
of it," tie added, as he handed the package to Jack, "but 
it was the best I could get. It certainly cost enough." 
We thanked him for his thoughtfulncss, and started 
back to camp. On the way the Doctor apologized for 
dropping in on us in such an unceremonious fashion. It 
Avas Avholly an unpremeditated move on his part, he 
explained. He had got to thinking about us, and had 
jumped on the first train Avithout bringing so much as a 
tooth brush — with nothing, in fact, but the clothes he stood 
in. There Avas nothing unusual in this, as it was the 
Doctor's waj' of doing everything. He Avas aKvays un- 
prepared, and let emergencies look out for themseh^es, 
trusting to providence to "find a Avay." He was one of 
those people whom other people feel called upon to pro- 
tect, whose troubles other people always transfer to 
their own shoulders. But he was a fine story teller and 
the best company imaginable, therefore Ave forgave him 
his eccentricities. 
When dinner was over we skirmished around, and 
managed to get him rigged out, after a fashion, in a 
combination suit of wonderfully ill-fitting garments, and 
then we sat around him in a circle and laughed at him. 
He presented a very ludicrous appearance. He was one 
big misfit from the hat that came doAvn over his ears, to 
the shoes that Avere two or three sizes too large. 
The Doctor Avas a man a little past the heyday of youth, 
tliDUgh he still retained much of his yottthful vigor. He 
was scarcely above medium height and thin in propor- 
tion. He still possessed a very heavy head of hair, iron 
gray in color, and he wore' his beard, of the same color, 
rather long; this, coupled with the mild, innocent expres- 
sion of his big blue eyes, tended to give him quite a 
patriarchal look. 
He was easy going, almost to the extent of shiftless- 
ness. In this respect he Avas not unlike Hogarth's Bill. 
Many of us. if we dared folloAV our OAvn inclinations, or if 
circumstances permitted. Avould belong to that school 
of philosophic idlers. If Ave only dared, or if somebody 
had not invented tltat perpetual motion machine called 
"public opinion." 
At some period in his life the Doctor had become im- 
bued with a desire to acquire learning, and, incidentally, 
the honors pertaining thereto. It was merely a spas- 
modic burst of ambition — a spurt Avhich, from his own 
account, did not last long. But before the inevitable re- 
lapse set in, he succeeded in obtaining a degree of some 
kind and became a doctor of something-or-other, though 
of Avhat Ave ncA'er could clearly understand. 
After Ave had transformed the Doctor from a patriarch 
into merely a strange looking object, he borroAved Jim's 
shotgun and said he Avould step out and see if he couldn't 
get a partridge or tAvo for supper. He did not get a 
partridge, but he did get lost, and it was after dark be- 
fore Ave found him. He took the matter philosophically, 
of course. He said that he had been doing circles of 
varying dimensions for at least two or three hours, and 
if he had kept on, in time would probably have embraced 
the camp in his circuitous wanderings. He advancetl a 
new theory on the .sitbject of getting lost. 
"It's a case," said he, "of your right leg not knoAving 
nor caring Avhat your left leg doeth. In fact, each leg is 
utterly independent of the other, and both utterly in- 
dependent of the rest of the body. They practically dis- 
OAAm the body, and if they could. Avould detach them- 
selves therefrom and go on their separate ways rejoicing. 
The mind, or brain, is supposed to telegraph every move- 
ment you make to the necessary muscles, etc.. involved, 
but when you are lost, the connection is broken, the 
wires are cut. You signal to your legs. 'Go sou'h and 
go in a straight line.' Your legs respond by going niirth 
and going in a circle. You can't understand it. and 
doubt your own senses, but the reason is plain. Your 
legs did not get the message. I consider it worth gett'ng 
lost to haA'e made the discovery." 
That was the beginning. If the Doctor did not get lo.st 
CA'ery day, and sometimes tAvice a day, it Avas not his 
fault. We decided that he AA'as doing it on purpose, that 
he Avas trying to prove his theory, but after he had slept 
out tAvo nights without a fire — he never had any matches 
when he needed them — we changed our minds. 
Jack said that when he got back to civilization he 
was going to have his college confer another degree 
upon the Doctor. 
"What sort of a degree?" the latter innocently asked. 
"L. L. D.," Jack replied. 
"But Avhy L. L. D. ?" inquired the Doctor, somewhat 
puzzled. 
"It stands for Long Lost Doctor." said Jack Avith a 
grin, and I think he Avas grateful to the Doctor for creating 
an opportunity for this joke. Jack think.s himself funny. 
You must haA'e a climax if you Avould have things be- 
come interesting, and all on a day our climax came. I 
started out one morning to set a bear trap. The Doctor 
begged to go along, as he had never seen the operation. 
I reluctantly consented, after laying doAvn certain rules 
and restrictions. 
The spot I had selected Avas near the end of an old 
windfall. When once on the ground I Avas soon hard at 
AAwk. In order to get rid of the Doctor's unwished-for 
assistance, I told him to take my rifle and go around to the 
other side of the Avindfall and see what he could see. He 
gladly complied Avith my request, and his graceful figure 
was soon out of sight. He had been gone ten or fifteen 
minutes, and I Avas beginning to Avonder if he had broken 
his record and lost himself in such a short time, when 1 
heard a rifle shot. The shot Avas immediately followe.(| 
by terrified shrieks and cries for help. I started in the 
direction of the sound on the run. I was thoroughly 
alarmed, my one conclusion being that the Doct9r had 
shot himself. I dashed around the windjfall. exppctin? 
to see him writhing in his death agony, but the Doctoi- 
was nowhere in sight. But something else was. Sorae- 
thntg every bit as interesting. Not ten rods away was 
an enormous black bear. He Avas growling and snarling 
with rage, and endeavoring to ciimD a small beech tree. 
We discovered each other at the same mstant, and he 
immediately transferred his attentions to me. It A\'as 
not a time for meditation. The rapidity with which 1 
shinned up the neare.st tree has neA'er been equaled. Tht 
bear attempted to foUoAV suit, but luckilji- the tree VA^as too 
small for hini. He could not get a good hold on the 
bark, and only succeeded in raising himself a few feet 
from the ground and then slipped back. This but added 
to his fury. After several ineffectual attempts, he gave 
it up and went back to his first tree. J noticed mat he 
limped, and that one of his legs Avas bleeding. And then 
I looked around for the Doctor, whose cries had suddenly 
ceased, only to break out afresh as the bear left my harbor 
of refuge. 
"Oh, Lord, here he comes!" he cried. "He'll get me 
this time, sure. Help I Keep him away, can't you ? Why. 
oh. why, did I shoot him?" 
And then I located him. He was up the beech tree as 
high up as he could climb. He was a-straddle a limb and 
hanging on for dear life. He made such a comical picture 
of abject terror and despair that in spite of my OAvn aAvk- 
ward predicament and my recent terror, I was obliged to 
laugh. That laugn did a great deal toward restoring my 
lost coin-age, and I pulled myself together and proceeded 
to "size tip" the situation. 
"Keep cool and don't get excited," 1 called to the 
Doctor. "He can't climb the trefe.- You've A\'0unded one 
of his legs. Where's the rifle?" 
"I don't know. I dropped it when he started fox me. 
Are you sure he can't get up here?" 
"Of course not. Brace up or you'll fall out of the tree. 
HoAV did it happen?" 
"I saw him and he saAV me, and he started to run 
away, and I shot at him, and then he turned and came/ 
for me, and that's all I remember till I found myself 
up here. 1 wish I hadn't shot him, 1 Avas a fool to 
do it." 
"I agree with you," I assented. "You have made a 
mess of things. He'll probably stay here and starve us 
out." 
As if in answer to my suggestion, the bear left the 
tree and took up a position midway betAveen the tAVO 
trees. He sat down and commenced licking his Avounded 
leg, at the same time keeping a close Avatch on both of us. 
E.scape Avas out of the question. I could see my rifle 
lying where the Doctor had dropped it a short distance 
from my tree, but it inight as w^ell haA*e been in camp for 
all the good it Avas to me. 
It Avould hardly do to repeat our conversation — espe- 
cially my side of it— as the hours dragged on with no 
change in the situation, save Avhen the bear furnished a 
little diversion now and then by trying to get at one or 
the other of ui3. It was late in the afternoon before any 
signs of relief appeared. It Avas the \wlcomc voice of 
Sooner that announced the arriA'al of aid. Following 
his u.sual tactics, he came through instead of going 
around the windfall. The bear heard him and prepared 
to do battle with this ncAV foe. 
Sooner broke through the tangled mesh of roots and 
branches, and pulled up short at sight of the bear. He 
took in the situation at a glance. He made a feint at 
attacking the bear, and the bear prepared to meet him 
half-way. But Sooner Avas Avise, and dashed off in an- 
other direction, and the enraged bear started in pursuit. 
This was my only chance. I knew thsrt the bear would 
not run far, that he would return to keep guard over us. 
I slid doAvn the tree and made a dash for my rifle. The' 
bear discoAxred the move just as I reached the rifle, and 
came straight for me. I took quick aim and let him 
have it. The third shot bowled him over and ended his 
career. 
Vvhen it was all over, the Doctor came down from the 
tree and gave thanks. He Avalked around the carcass of 
our recent foe, and Avent so far as to place his foot on 
ihe neck of the beast. 
"■How are the mighty fallen!'" he exclaimed. "Well, 
Ave did for him that time, didn't we? It was not exactly 
comfortable up in that tree, but it was well worth the in- 
convenience to have bagged this felloAv. I don't Avant to 
boast, but I am glad I had a hand in it." 
"Were you very badly frightened?" I innocently asked. 
^ "Oh, no! Naturally, I was just a little nervous at 
first, but the feeling soon wore off. I Avas afraid that he 
might get you, as you Avere unarmed, you know." 
"You didn't seem at all frightened," I remarked. 
"But honor to whom honor is due," 1 added, as I ob- 
served Sooner cautiously approaching. "Unto Sooner 
be all the glory. Had it not been for that 
good dog. we would still be up a tree," and I took my hat 
off to hiin and .saluted. He endeavored to appear in- 
different, but he could not entirely conceal his elation. 
He knew where the credit belonged as well as we, and his 
pride was excusable. 
Jack and Jim, Avho had come out to hunt for us, arriA^ed 
on the scene in, time to help skin the bear, and Ave made 
quick work of the task. I made the Doctor tell the story, 
as he Avas much be.ter at that sort of thing than I. He 
had a more vivid imagination and less regard for the 
unA^arnished truth than myself. Modesty compels me to 
state that much. He did not disappoint my expecta- 
tions, although he made my share in the adventure appear 
somewhat diminutive, I might say almost insignificant. 
We had bear steak for supper that night, but the Doctor 
would not partake of the delicacy. 
"I have been seeing bear and smelling bear all day 
long," he explained, "and I don't care to taste bear also." 
The next day he pleaded business, and having borroAved 
enough money to pay his Avay home, bade us farewell. 
Hogarth drove him to the Junction. 
We broke camp a week or so later. When vve went to 
settle our account at the coriibination store at the Junction 
the proprietor thus addressed me: 
VThey's a bottle of tanglefoot charged up to you, 
y'knovf." 
"N9 ; I didn't know," I assured him. Who charged it? 
Did either of you buy any whi.sky here?" I inquired, turn- 
ing to the other tAvo. 
'*No. 'Twant them," said the proprietor of the com- 
