the great wilderness and sea, with no other youthful companions or
playmates, and with little of the joy of sports with which boys in
civilization are blessed, it was but natural that they should feel more
deeply the responsibility of life, and should ponder and take to heart
more seriously Skipper Ed's philosophy, than they would had their lot
been cast in a city or a town.

It is not to be supposed, however, that they never got into mischief.
They were too full of life and energy to avoid that. But they were
seldom or never instructed _not_ to do this or that, and their mischief
was usually the result of indiscretion and error of judgment natural to
youth, rather than disobedience. Eskimos do not whip or punish their
children. They treat them rather, as comrades, and the boy's effort is
to do as nearly as he can the things his elders do and in the manner in
which they do them.

And this was the case with Abel and Mrs. Abel and Bobby. They never
punished Bobby. It was the case also with Skipper Ed and Jimmy. Skipper
Ed, from the first, called Jimmy his partner, and talked to him and
treated him very much as he would have done had Jimmy been a grown-up.

From the very beginning Bobby had his escapades, which usually included
adventures. During the first summer after his arrival he fell into the
water with due regularity, but always, fortunately, within reach of
Abel's or Mrs. Abel's strong arms. Once he climbed into the big boat,
undid the painter, and the tide had carried him well out to sea before
his plight was discovered and he was rescued by Abel in the skiff. And
once he was lost for a day in the forest, with Abel, Mrs. Abel, Skipper
Ed, and Jimmy searching frantically for him. They found him, quite tired
out with his wanderings, peacefully sleeping on the forest moss.