Part 9 (1/2)

And now for the races with the dogs These were looked forward to with the greatest interest All sorts of rumours were afloat of some wonderful surprises in store Fortunately for all parties concerned, including the dogs, there had been a great abundance of fish during the last few years, and so every Indian aree In other years, when fish failed and the herd of reindeer cas went into the soup pot But they had fared better lately, and so now they were all in the finest trier here for the races as were their masters

There were about a dozen trains that contended for the victory in this next race There were to be four prizes given Alec, with his splendid houndlike dogs, sees caerly scanned by those present, it was seen that there were allant race ere they or their nificently developed drivers would even take a second place Alec and a young clerk were the only whites in the race Then there were three half-breed fur traders, and the rest of the competitors were pure Indians

The Indian carpenter at Sagasta-weekee had an-like sled for this race It was very light, and so the maker had sewed and re-sewed it, and so stiffened it with the sinews of the reindeer that it was as strong as a piece of steel He had fastened a seat in it so cleverly that, if the sled went over, the seat collapsed like a rubber ball, and as quickly resuhted Old Memotas had especially manufactured the harnesses for this event He htest mooseskin that Mr Ross could buy for hiht kind of traces to satisfy his experienced eye After testing a good deal of leather he settled down on a set of very long ones, that would not at all interfere with the long, springy s

The start was to be from the foot of thewhich Indians had now been stationed, was first to be the trading post, a distance of two and a half miles Here each train would be detained exactly five minutes At the expiration of the five asta-weekee, a distance of perhaps five miles Here there was to be a compulsory wait of ten ht route to the mission, a distance, say, of six miles

Some of the Indians wanted the distance to be at least doubled, but this could not be allowed These races and prizes were only designed to encourage the Indians to be kind and careful with their dogs, as only by such treathest use to theood deal of barking, and sos, the cry of ”Marche!” was shouted, and they were off

Some especially clever Indian trains were the first to respond to the call and sprang to the front So to run; others, like Alec, intended to ride, while perhaps the greater nued best in the excitement of the race

Each driver, Alec included, had a splendid dog-whip, but it was a long ti of Alec's was struck Indeed, the first one to receive a powerful bloas the leader dog of a train beside which Alec was running As Bruce ca ahead, the vicious bruteat him Quick as it was, it was observed by his Indian h more than twelve feet from hi, heavy, snake-like whiplash that it caught the brute on the nose with such force that, with a howl of pain, he turned to the front before any dae had been done

A few seconds later Alec and this Indian driver sped on right and left of a couple of trains mixed-up in terrible confusion, while their drivers, a whitebut a pleasant uard against running into so-trains, as soht easily disable one of his lighter dogs

Without mishap Alec reached the fort, and found that five trains were there ahead of him In a minute or two led up had speedily unloosened, and had not lost more than a couple of minutes by their collision Exactly as each train's five asta-weekee

The ice was in fairly good condition for travelling, although there were long stretches where it was so absolutely ss would slip and slide in spite of their best efforts to the contrary On this se, as they had such hard feet that they very seldos were perhaps the worse for these smooth icy places, and so he found that it was necessary, where the travelling was good, for his more than he had intended, to lassy places Thus on they sped, and when Sagasta- weekee was reached Alec found three trains ahead of hiside of his own and others close behind him Ten minutes was the time allotted for the rest here The instant Alec had arrived Mes and compared his train with those that had thus far kept ahead Mehted with the inspection, for, while the other trains seemed about exhausted at the terrific rate their drivers had pushed theh the race had only begun So, barring accident or foul play, there see colours Two of the half-breeds with very vicious trains now pushed on with four minutes of a start An Indian folloo minutes after, and then in four minutes more Alec and those who had arrived at the saain ready for the final run of the six- faithful, alert Meuard against those two half-breeds and their vicious dogs

Try and not pass them in a narrow place There is mischief in their hearts Be wise”

”Marche!” and he was off

For the first tile, and he entered into the wild, joyous enthusiasm of the race He had become an expert in the use of his whip over the backs of his splendid dogs Skillfully he whirled it, and its pistol-like report rang out over the blow

”Ho! ho! hound's blood in your veins, and Scotland's nas, for Scotland win the day!”

He must needs hurry now, for fleet trains are around hier to win as he, and every one of the for years Victors are some of them in previous contests, and not one of them is disposed to see a white lad from across the sea co now in earnest, and the dogs of other trains are waking up to realise that there is fire in theirat the end of the heavy lash With terrific rushes they e to the front Alec, excited now to the highest pitch, calls as never before to his dogs:

”Marche! Bruce, up! Up, Wallace! and you Gelert, and s! Away! away!”

Grandly did they respond They too have caught the enthusiasht traces they stretched themselves out and fairly flew over the icy surface, they seeht

Steady, Alec! Keep well balanced now You have shaken off every sled that started in this last dash with you, but there are stubborn coh places where an upset at such a speed ht of these things; his Scottish caution has gone to the winds, and with dauntless courage he keeps up his cheering cries Rapidly does he gain on a powerful train ahead of hiins to fly past it the vicious leader turns and springs at Bruce He fails in his attempt on account of the slippery ice, and falls directly in front of the oncohty bound the gallant fellow responds and springs directly over his prostrate assailant

Quickly follow Wallace, Gelert, and Lorne With a stunning blow Alec's sled hits the still struggling brute Well now is it for Alec that the cautious builder of that light sled had strengthened it with deerskin sinews till it was tough and strong And so it stood that fierce shock, and, with its sturdy occupant unseated, over the great dog, with undireat trains of the half-breeds These are the men and trains about which Memotas whispered his words of caution And well is it for Alec that he was put on his guard Before theood ice in places did not average more than froht say, for three dog- trains to rush by [it] at the same tih for the safety of the third if the other two are deter s it was for theht or left, as he spoke to them Like some other drivers, he had them so well-trained that no horse responds to the pull on the reins s to his voice As Alec rapidly gained on these trains he observed that they were running about parallel to each other, and that the width of the ice was about the same between them and each shore This so equally divided the ice that it made it difficult to decide whether to try and pass between them, or on one side or the other Alec's first as to see if they were really working together against hih he would clash in between thean to close up fros before there was a collision, he then tried the call to the right hand, and here the sa that they would both be beaten in a fair race, they were resolved, by sacrificing one train, that the other should win at any cost froe and fierce, and at one word from their hter and younger dogs of Alec, with disastrous results So Alec, who saw the plan, resolved that there should be no collision with his train if he could help it All this time the speed was fairly kept up, and alert and watchful was each driver, although not a as spoken a fros were quicker to respond to his voice than were theirs, and so he resolved to try and confuse theth succeeded When, with a great show, it appeared that he was going to dash between thes just as the other two trains closed in to block his way Quickly they saw their danger, and tried to avert it, but they were too late Their own fierce, excited dogs sprang at each other as they met, and ere their masters could separate theht and was by them

The coast was clear now, but fleet trains were close behind The blocking of the way had necessarily soerously near But what now cared Alec?

Springing to his feet, he swings his whip and calls to his gallant dogs

The distance is now only a couple of s do go! In perfect unison they spring together, while Alec's cheering voice rings out: