There is always hardship and always will be in a frontier land like Labrador, and Labrador north of Cape Charles is the most primitive of frontier lands.  Dr. Grenfell and his helpers find plenty to do in addition to giving out medicines and dressing wounds.  A little boost sometimes puts a family on its feet, raising it from abject poverty to independence and self-respect.  Just a little momentum to push them over the line.  Grenfell knows how to do this.

Several years ago Dr. Grenfell anchored his vessel in Big Bight, and went ashore to visit David Long.  David had had a hard winter, and among other kindnesses to the family, Dr. Grenfell presented David’s two oldest boys, lads of fifteen or sixteen or thereabouts, with a dozen steel fox traps.  Lack of traps had prevented the boys taking part in trapping during the previous winter.

The next year after giving the boys the traps, Grenfell again cast anchor in Big Bight, and, as usual, rowed ashore to visit the Longs.  There was great excitement in their joyous greeting.  Something important had happened.  There was no doubt of that!  David and Mrs. Long and the two lads and all the little Longs were exuding mystery, but particularly the two lads.  Whatever this mysterious secret was they could scarce keep it until they had led Dr. Grenfell into the cabin, and he was comfortably seated.

Then, with vast importance and some show of deliberate dignity, David opened a chest.  From its depths he drew forth a pelt.  Dr. Grenfell watched with interest while David shook it to make the fur stand out to best advantage, and then held up to his admiring gaze the skin of a beautiful silver fox!  The lads had caught it in one of the dozen traps he had given them.

“We keeps un for you,” announced David exultantly.

“It’s a prime one, too!” exclaimed the Doctor, duly impressed, as he examined it.

“She be that,” emphasized David proudly.  “No finer were caught on the coast the winter.”

“It was a good winter’s work,” said the Doctor.

“’Twere that now!  ’Twere a wonderful good winter’s work—­just t’cotch that un!” enthused Mrs. Long.

“What are you going to do with it?” asked Doctor Grenfell.

“We keeps un for you,” said David.  “The time was th’ winter when we has ne’er a bit o’ grub but what we hunts, all of our flour and molasses gone.  But we don’t take he to the trade, whatever.  We keeps he for you.”

Out on a coast island Captain William Bartlett, of Brigus, Newfoundland, kept a fishing station and a supply store.  Captain Will is a famous Arctic navigator.  He is one of the best known and most successful masters of the great sealing fleet.  He is also a cod fisherman of renown and he is the father of Captain “Bob” Bartlett, master of explorer Peary’s Roosevelt, and it was under Captain Will Bartlett’s instruction that Captain “Bob” learned seamanship and navigation.  Captain William Bartlett is as fine a man as ever trod a deck.  He is just and honest to a degree, and he has a big generous heart.