us with great interest. And I observed that Martha Jutt held a
letter in her hand: whereupon I divined precisely what our arrival had
interrupted, for I was Labrador born, and knew well enough what went on
in the kitchens of our land of a Christmas Eve.

"And now, my girl," said the doctor, "what's what?"

By this extraordinary question--delivered, as it was, in a manner that
called imperatively for an answer--Martha Jutt was quite nonplussed: as
the doctor had intended she should be.

"What's what?" repeated the doctor.

Quite startled, Martha lifted the letter from her lap. "He's not comin',
zur," she gasped, for lack of something better.

"You're disappointed, I see," said the doctor. "So he's not coming?"

"No, zur--not this year."

"That's too bad. But you mustn't mind it, you know--not for an instant.
What's the matter with him?"

"He've broke his leg, zur."

"What!" cried the doctor, restored of a sudden to his natural manner.
"Poor fellow! How did he come to do that?"

"Catchin' one o' they wild deer, zur."

"Catching a deer!" the doctor exclaimed. "A most extraordinary thing. He
was a fool to try it. How long ago?"

"Sure, it can't be more than half an hour; for he've----"

The doctor jumped up. "Where is he?" he demanded, with professional
eagerness. "It can't be far. Davy, I must get to him at once. I must
attend to that leg. Where is he?"

"Narth Pole, zur," whispered Sammy.

"Oh-h-h!" cried the doctor; and he sat down again, and pursed his lips,
and winked at Sammy in a way most peculiar. "I _see_!"

"Ay, zur," Jimmie rattled, eagerly. "We're fair disappointed that he's
not----"

"Ha!" the doctor interrupted. "I see. Hum! Well, now!" And having thus
incoherently exclaimed for a little, the light in his eyes growing
merrier all the time, he most unaccountably worked himself into a great
rage: whereby I knew that the little Jutts were in some way to be
mightily amused. "The lazy rascal!" he shouted, jumping out of his
chair, and beginning to stamp the room, frowning terribly. "The fat,
idle, blundering dunderhead! 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."

The doctor opened the lett