“Has un heard, sir, how mother an’ Emily an’ father is?” he asked as he handed over the mail.

“Mr. MacDonald sent his man down the other day, and he told me your mother took it pretty hard, when they buried you last week, although she has stuck to it all along that the remains Ed brought out were not yours and you were alive somewhere.  Emily don’t seem to change.  Your father and nearly every one else in the Bay has had a good hunt.  Go out to the men’s kitchen for your supper now and when you’ve eaten come back again and we’ll talk things over.”

In the kitchen he heard some exaggerated details of Ed’s journey out, and something of the happenings up the bay during the winter.  When he had finished his meal he returned to the office, where Mr. Forbes was waiting for him.

“Well, Ungava Bob, as Mr. MacPherson calls you in his letter,” said Mr. Forbes, “you’ve earned the rifle he gave you, and you’re to keep it.  Now tell me more of your adventures since you left Ungava.”

Little by little he drew from Bob pretty complete details of the journey, and then told him that he had better sail the Maid of the North up to Kenemish, where Douglas Campbell and his father would see that he secured the salvage due him for bringing out the schooner.

“An’ what may salvage be, sir?” asked Bob.

“Why,” answered Mr. Forbes, “you found the schooner a derelict at sea and you brought her into port.  When you give her back to the owner he will have to pay you whatever amount the court decides is due you for the service, and it may be as much as one-half the value of the vessel and cargo.  You’ll get enough out of it to settle you comfortably for life.”

Bob heard this in open-mouthed astonishment.  It was too good for him to quite believe at first, but Mr. Forbes assured him that it was usual and within his rights.

They arranged that Netseksoak and Aluktook should go with him to Kenemish and later return to Fort Pelican to be paid by Mr. Forbes for their services and to be sent home by him on the company’s ship, the Eric, on its annual voyage north.

Then Bob, after thanking Mr. Forbes, rowed back to the Maid of the North, too full of excitement and anticipation to sleep.

With the first ray of morning light the anchor was weighed, the sails hoisted and but two days lay between Bob and home.

As he stood on the deck of the Maid of the North and drank in the wild, rugged beauty of the scene around him Bob thought of that day, which seemed so long, long ago, when he and his mother, broken hearted and disconsolate were going home with little Emily, and how he had looked away at those very hills and the inspiration had come to him that led to the journey from which he was now returning.  Tears came to his eyes and he said to himself,

“Sure th’ Lard be good.  ‘Twere He put un in my head t’ go, an’ He were watchin’ over me an’ carin’ for me all th’ time when I were thinkin’ He were losin’ track o’ me.  I’ll never doubt th’ Lard again.”