“So that’s the reason ye never got a man, eh?  Ho, ho!” and the captain gave a gruff laugh.

“Yes,” Miss Arabella snapped.  “I was afraid he might be just like you, Captain Josh,” at which retort the boys shouted with delight, while the captain, too, was highly amused at the fun which had been caused at his own expense.

Thus on the nights when the work of making the wreaths was carried on an excellent spirit of friendship prevailed.  Neighbours, hearing of the good times at the Anchorage, often dropped in to assist the scouts.  On several occasions they brought refreshments, such as sandwiches, cakes, and doughnuts, which added very much to the enjoyment of the evenings.

The neighbours were so pleased with these social gatherings that they were very sorry when the wreaths were all made and sent to the city.  They had experienced the pleasure of meeting together during the long winter evenings, and there was now a serious blank in their lives.  They accordingly decided that something must be done, with the result that a small club was formed, which met once a week at the scouts’ Headquarters.  The women brought their knitting or sewing, while the men were allowed their pipes.  There was a programme arranged for each night, consisting of songs, recitations, and at times a debate on some familiar subject.

The scouts were only too glad that their elders were so interested in thus gathering together, and they did all they could to keep the room clean, and make it as bright as possible.  They themselves met twice a week, and when the captain was able to get around, the regular scout work was continued.

Captain Josh had studied hard to keep ahead of the boys, and in this he did remarkably well.  But when it came to giving addresses on First Aid to the Injured, he candidly confessed his ignorance.

“Give me a broken rope,” he said, “and I’ll splice it in no time.  But a broken bone is too much fer me.  As fer veins, arteries, bandaging, and sich things, ye can’t expect an old man like me to understand about them.  No, we’ve got to leave that to some one else.”

And that some one proved to be Doctor Travis, a young man who had recently settled in the parish.  He was much interested in the scouts, and hearing of their need through Parson Dan, he offered his services free, which were gratefully accepted by the scouts.

It was a raw winter night when the doctor gave his first lecture to the boys.  A stiff wind was swinging in from the northeast, plainly telling that a heavy storm was near at hand.  But safe within their warm room, the scouts gave no heed to what was taking place outside.  They listened with intense interest as the doctor explained to them what a wonderful machine the human body really is, the difference between veins and arteries, the various kinds of fractures, and other things necessary for a second-class scout to know.

The lecture was as interesting as a story, and the doctor was delighted at the attention of the scouts.  The large chart made everything so clear, and impressed firmly upon the minds of the boys the things they had heard.  It was half-past nine when they were through, and when the door was opened, all were surprised to find such a furious storm raging over the land.  It had been snowing for some time, and drifts were already piling up around Headquarters.