, and that
it is very doubtful whether we shall ever see the Mission House again?
The prospect is that the snow will soon be our winding sheet, and that
loving eyes will look in vain for our return. The chances are against
your ever having the opportunity of stretching yourself out on the wolf
rug before the study fire. Rouse up yourself, old dog, for in your
intelligence we are going to trust to lead us to a place of safety."

The few arrangements necessary for the race were soon made. Alec
wrapped himself up as comfortably as possible in his rabbit-skin robe,
and I helped him to ensconce himself securely on his dog-sled. I tied a
rope from the end of my sled to the collar of his leader dog, so that
our trains might not get separated. Then I straightened out the trains,
and, wrapping myself up as well as I could on my sled, I shouted
"Marchez!" to the dogs.

I had as leader dog the intelligent white Esquimaux, "Koona." As I
shouted the word for "Go," Koona turned his head and looked at me, as
though bewildered, and seemed to be waiting for "Chaw" or "Yee," the
words for "right" and "left." As I did not know myself, I shouted to
Jack, who was second in the train, "Go on, Jack, whichever way you like,
and do the best you can, for I do not know anything about it." As Koona
still hesitated, Jack, with all the confidence imaginable, dashed off in
a certain direction, and Koona with slackened traces ran beside him,
very willing in such an emergency to give him all the honour of
leadership.

For hours the dogs kept bravely to their work. The storm raged and
howled around us, but not for one moment did Jack hesitate or seem to be
at fault. Koona had nothing to do but run beside him; but the other two
splendid dogs in the traces behind Jack seemed to catch his spirit, and
nobly aided him by their untiring efforts and courage. The cold was so
intense that I had grave fears that we should freeze to death. We were
obliged so to wrap ourselves up that it was impossible with so much on
us to run with any comfort, or to keep up with the dogs whilst going at
such a rapid rate. Frequently would I shout back to my comrade, "Alec!
don't go to sleep. Alec, if you do, you may never wake up until the
Judgment morning." Back would come his response, "All right, sir; then
I'll try to keep awake."

Thus on we travelled through that wintry storm. How cold, how
relentless, how bitter were the continuous blasts of the north wi