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No merry shouts came over the white miles from the cottage of Jonas Jutt, though I am sure that they rang there most heartily; but the doctor did not care: he shouted merrily enough for himself, for he was very happy. And that's the way you'd feel, too, if you spent your days hunting good deeds to do.
Thereupon Skipper Jonas took us to the shed, where we laid off our packs and were brushed clean of snow; and by that time Matilda Jutt, the mother of Martha and Jimmie and Sammy, had spread the table with the best she had little enough, God knows! being but bread and tea and was smiling beyond.
Did they send you that message? Did they, now? Tell me, did they? Give me that letter!" He snatched the letter from Martha's lap. "Sammy," he demanded, "where did this letter come from?" "Narth Pole, zur!" Jonas Jutt blushed and Matilda threw her apron over her head to hide her confusion. "And how did it come?" "Out o' the stove, zur."
But the doctor went about his usual work, healing the sick, quietly keeping the helm of our business, as though nothing had occurred: and grimly waited for the inevitable hour. Jonas Jutt, of Topmast Tickle, with whom we had passed a Christmas Eve the father of Martha and Jimmie and Sammy Jutt came by stealth to our harbour to speak a word with the doctor.
There could be no doubt about the authenticity of that communication. And the doctor seemed to know it: for he calmly tore the envelope open, glanced the contents over, and turned to Martha, the broadest of grins wrinkling his face. "Martha Jutt," said he, "will you please be good enough to read that." And Martha read: North Pole, Dec. 24, 10:18 P.M.
In mad haste alone ill provisioned fleein' in terror.... He sat on the hills sat there like an old crag in the rain an' wind waitin' for the doctor's sloop. 'There she is, Jutt! says he. 'No, says I. 'Thank God, Jagger, that's a schooner, reefed down an' runnin' for harbour! ... 'There she is! says he.
And are you brave? No? Oh, I think you are. And you'll try to be, at any rate, won't you? Of course! That's a good boy." And so, with his sharp little knives, the doctor cured Sammy Jutt's knee, while the lad lay white and still on the kitchen table. And 'twas not hard to do; but had not the doctor chanced that way, Sammy Jutt would have been a cripple all his life.
Skipper Tommy made haste to the small boat, the while raising a cry for Timmie, who had gone about his own pleasure, the Lord knew where! And Timmie ran down the path, as fast as his sea-boots would go: but was intercepted by Jonas Jutt, who drew him into the lower fish-stage, as though in fear of observation, and there whispered the circumstances of the departure of the Trap and Seine.
The three little Jutts were suddenly thrown into a fearful state of excitement. They tried to talk all at once; but not one of them could frame a coherent sentence. It was most distressful to see. "The Exterminator!" Martha managed to jerk out, at last. "Oh, ay!" cried Jimmie Jutt. "Quick, zur! Write un down. Pine's Prompt Pain Exterminator. Warranted to cure. Please, zur, make haste."
And when the wind went down, and the day dawned clear again, we put the dogs to my father's komatik and set out for Wayfarer's Tickle: whence Jagger had that morning fled, as Jonas Jutt told us. "Gone!" cried Tom Tot. "T' the s'uth'ard with the dogs. He's bound t' the Straits Shore t' get the last coastal boat t' Bay o' Islands." "Gone!" we repeated, blankly. "Ay but ten hours gone.
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