Perhaps He sent the lad here to mould his character upon the plan of the great wide wilderness and boundless sea, and to fit him for some noble part that he is to play some time in life." Skipper Ed knocked the ashes from his pipe.
"Perhaps after all," he mused, "my life here has not been wasted.
Perhaps my part in life was to teach these boys and help to broaden their life.

Perhaps that was the reason I drifted here and remained here.

Every misfortune and every sorrow is just a stepping stone to something higher and better." "Skipper!" Bobby was awake and Skipper Ed's musings were at an end.
"Yes, son." He called Bobby "son" sometimes, as a special mark of affection.
"Did you find the _netsek_ and mittens ?" "Yes, you practical young scamp." "That's good," said Bobby, "for I couldn't hunt tomorrow without them." "Hunt tomorrow!" exclaimed Skipper Ed.

"Is that the first thing you think of when you wake up?
I'm not sure I'll let you hunt tomorrow.

I may keep you in your sleeping bag." "I'm all right, Skipper," declared Bobby, "I'm going to get out of my bag right now.