pen those tins of dog feed, will you, Rydeen? This is to be their
first big banquet, where they get as much as they can eat," said
"Scotty" to one of the friends in the group about him. "Then if Humber
and some of the rest will help me, we'll give them a fine alcohol rub in
no time."

"You'd better do some resting yourself, 'Scotty,'" they urged, but he
would not consider that till he had thoroughly examined the team.

Then, "McMillan's feet are bruised," he exclaimed ruefully. There were
many offers of assistance in caring for the dog, which, however, Allan
gratefully declined. "He doesn't like having strangers work over him;
and when he's nervous he becomes headstrong; so I'd better attend to him
myself."

From Candle came the news--"All teams have left on return trip except
Allan and Darling." And as hour after hour passed and "Scotty" had not
yet started, there was exasperation in the hearts of his backers in
Nome. Exasperation, but not despair; for all remembered when Allan had
driven Berger's Brutes to success after a wait so long that all of Nome
was in a ferment over the fact that "Scotty" had "slept the race away."
But he had planned that campaign well; he had figured the possibilities
of his rivals, and knew that they had exhausted their strength too early
in the game. And so he had come in first with every other team at least
six hours behind; and the cry "'Scotty's' sleeping the race away at
Candle" became the derisive slogan of the Allan clan.

"Jack McMillan's feet are giving trouble," was the response of "Central"
to the frantic inquiries over the long distance telephone as to the
delay, "and 'Scotty's' massaging them with menthalatum."

To the repeated request, and then the demand, that McMillan be put back
into the wheel to get along as best he could, there was a moment's
hesitation and a sweet, but firm, feminine voice replied, "'Scotty'
says"--a gasp and a pause--"he says he'll not ruin a faithful dog if
every man, woman and child in all Alaska has bet on him. And I think
he's just right, too; Jack is a perfect dear," and the receiver was hung
up with a click that admitted of no further argument.

At last they were off again, five hours behind the others; but when they
did leave, the North knew that the sport was on in earnest--for Allan's
policy had ever been to do his real driving on the "home stretch."

Soon the languor from the rest, and the heaviness from the food were
forgotten; and there