Baldy of Nome

e Fligh

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E FLIGH

e tundra, which stretches away, a bog in summer, to the low-lying hills in the distance. In winter this is, however,

sits to the outlying camps, where they were lauded and petted

hen the leaders, eying one another critically, even scornfully, would, without so much as a bark by way of discussion,

ry Creek, turning into Front Street, and dashing down that main

and so they were always urged on to a spirited finish by the eager voi

itself to greet the first unfailing herald of spring-the Dog Races of Nome. And about the second week in February the serious work that is

n, so there should be no chafing of the neck; they were as "fine and becoming," the Woman said, "as feather boas." All extra weight was eliminated. The harness was of thin linen webbing; sn

unbreakable hickory, and lashed with reindeer sinew. It weighed but little more than thirty pounds-"as trim a bark as ever s

raft of the team equaled a pound to the dog; and if more was indicated he was always behind pushing and adding all of the stren

enough off the floor so that there could be no dampness. Electric lights in the long dark months made it possible to keep the place easily in perfect order; but with increased activity came increased conveniences

have impressed Baldy in the least; but that it kept their tails from freezing when going through overflows in icy stre

wice a day; cutting and filing their nails when necessary, that they might not split, and currying and brushing thei

ssist Matt; and under his unremitting attention Baldy was

r Baldy was being seriously considered as a permanent wheeler in the Racing Team. His qualifications were not brilliant, but he had proved in the Juvenile Race

nd they realized that these short, snappy spins were for speed

f a good example. That not proving entirely satisfactory, he had been known, when really necessary, to use the prerogative of a loose leader, and bite the dog in f

tupid or unwilling dog indeed who could not learn much from the agile Tolmans, or the gentle Irish Setters, in whom the fierce stron

stifiable confidence in himself, and a perfect control over the

s been scoured quietly, from one end to the other, to add finer dogs to last year's seasoned entries. And all of the drivers will be men who know the game." Which meant a severe strug

an with pride and admiration. "I don't th

el, something like distemper, they seemed perfectly well till almost the day of the race. And that was the race,"

single blizzard. And the whole North knows that our rangy half-breeds are at their best when there are sto

ay driving his own team of the same type, were first and second, the Ramsay Tartan fluttered beside the flag of Finland in triumph. It made no difference that one driver was the son of a Scotch Earl and one of a Scandinavian Peasant-they were both men in the ey

MSAY S

at us with that great team of his and Russ Bowen's? For after all t

the question of supremacy between the two breeds; and so the smouldering rivalry c

streets means anything," was the Big Man's comment one evening when the Woman, after

ust because the people are learning that the only way you can have good dogs is to give them good care. When an Eskimo gets together a racing team, and an excellent one at that, it begins to look like a general re

r as you could see it by the gait of the wretched, mangy beasts

fact," enthusiastically, "I am sure that dog racing has been an enormous benefit to Nome in every way. Stefansson told me himself that never in his experience, and it has been wide, had he found such dogs as t

teringly, that she embody those views

zzled. "Congress?" she dem

hat very recently the Kennel Club has received communications from various high officials of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to A

d cannot be made to see the error of t

was quite speechless wi

hat isn't human nature for you-beams

ut which they know nothing, thousands of miles away; when probably around the very next cor

are many Alaskans, as well as Outsi

er the dining table, and sleeps on a crocheted shawl in a Morris chair. But real Alaskans know that pity for the dogs of the North should be felt,

y-four hours at a stretch. I'll wager," defiantly, "that if Alaska dogs have one supreme ambition, like that of e

othingly. "But Congress, I believe,

many things concerning Alaska an

day after day, have crawled into town unnoticed, with feet cut and bruised and bleeding, and with no one to herald their suffering to a sympathetic world.

assumption of fear, "that the condition of the dogs, at the fi

rcing their steps through the crushing, cheering, frantic mob often giv

ting and showing little, if any, signs of the ordeal. Many and many a prospector's team is in far worse condition after a severe

says you must bring back every dog with

the 'Dead or Alive' rule is the one that seems to

a desperate 'win at any hazard' so

same. And as a team is only as strong as its weakest member, surely they can realize that it is a matter of policy, even if not prompted by his love for them, for ever

try for weaklings-men or dogs-and that is no contest for those who canno

ege men in training for the field, are more carefully and considerately treated than ar

If they had seen the 'Iron Man' with the tears rolling down his furrowed cheeks as he tenderly caressed the dead body of one of his little Siberians; or had watched 'Scotty' Allan breast the icy waters of a surging flood the night of the great storm, to save an injured dog not even his own, I am s

think Congress has troubles enough of its own just at present, without mixing up in d

sauntered down toward the Kennel slowly, her mind fi

final selection that had been made; while Kid, as a leader, had been manifesting such extraordinary talent that even Allan

y an unmistakable air of depression that pervaded the p

k of the Arctic morning came Ben, his fac

the Woman tremulously. "Has something dreadful happ

' after I'd spoke t' Baldy, Kid 'ud allers put his paw out t' shake hands and kinda whimper soft an' joyful, like he was sayin' nice things t' you. But this time there wasn't a sound from him; an' when I looked, the

t on, unless you tie 'em so short they ain't comfortable. Anyway, he was stiff an

in the Kennel I liked so much as him-after Baldy. And 'Scotty' feels awful bad, too. He can

that he mourned not only a wonderful leader, but a loving companion as well; and when he moved silently and sorrow

ccurrence, for Kid had been a genial stable-mate and a general fa

ized perfectly that Kid had been the mainstay and inspir

prompt reply. "We'l

not driven a team; and leader or no leader, I'll not back