fix it up. Dogs will be dogs."

"Thank ye, Doctor," said Jim, simply. But he was deeply grateful. He
went out after his dogs to make them quit rampaging and take their
places in the team.

"Doctor," said the sick man, "I minds me o' the time one o' them
missionaries put a young dog in the team ahead o' the old leader. Did
ye ever hear tell o' that?"

"No. What happened?"

"Well, the big feller bit through the little feller's traces an' then
must 'a' said 'you get out o' here!' the way one dog knows how to talk
to another. 'Cause the pup he began to run away, before they'd got the
sled started at all."

"And then what?" asked Grenfell.

"Why--Mr. Young harnessed up the pup three times an' each time the big
dog he bites the pup loose an' the pup runs away."

"So what did Mr. Young do then?"

"He give the big dog a whipping."

"Did that do any good?"

"Not the least little bit that ever was. It done a lot o' harm. The
old dog's heart was bust. After that beatin' he weren't never the same
again--he seemed to lose all taste for haulin' a sled. He might as
well have lain down an' died in the traces, for all the use he was to
the team after that. He wa'n't no good for a leader any more. He
wa'n't no good for anything."

"Do you use moccasins for your dogs?" asked Grenfell.

"Sure us does. Makes 'em o' sealskin. Us ties 'em round the dog's
ankles, cuttin' three little holes for the claws."

"I know," said Grenfell. "And the dog sometimes eats his own shoes,
doesn't he?"

"Yes, sir. Till he gets to know what the shoes is for. I've had my
dogs eat their own harness, many's the time. Don't seem as if dogs
could ever git so tired they wouldn't rather fight than sleep. I'd
just like to know what'd wear out a husky so he wouldn't be ready for
a scrap. They likes fightin' next to eatin'!"

"I suppose you feed your dogs once a day?" said the Doctor.

"Yes, Doctor. Only--they puts down the two fish I gives 'em in about
one swallow for both fish. I can't see that they gits much fun out o'
their supper."

Then the sick man began to laugh feebly. "It 'minds me o' the time I
was out with the dogs in the deep snow. I was just goin' to build me a
snow hut for the night. There was a herd o' caribou come by, goin' so
fast I couldn't git my gun ready in time.

"But the dogs--they tears 'emselves loose from the traces, 'cause I
hadn't taken 'em out yet, an' off they starts like the wind. They
leaves behind one little moth