than that. How about the Teller Station at Port Clarence? Isn't
that a reindeer layout?"

"It is," said the old whaler, "but distress among the miners in the
Upper Yukon had been reported earlier, an' that herd had been started
off for there. Jarvis figured on rounding up Artisarlook's herd at Point
Rodney, and the Government herd under C. M. Lopp at Cape Prince of
Wales, an' arrangin' to drive 'em to Point Barrow. Then, by pickin' up
Bertholf, who was to cut straight across the Seward Peninsula with the
dog-teams and the provisions, he would be sure of having enough supplies
to push north.

"Then Jarvis struck snow-drifts! The guides traveled with snowshoes an'
did their best to make a trail, Jarvis doing a big share o' the work.
The runners of the sleds went clear down an' the dogs sank nearly out of
sight in their struggles to move 'em. The men had to go backwards and
forwards a dozen times in front of the sled, stamping it down hard.
Then the dogs would drag it ten feet or so an' they'd have to pound the
snow again. There's something that's exhaustin'. Even the dogs played
out an' simply lay down in the snow, refusin' to go any farther."

"Without any shelter?"

"Huskies don't need any shelter. They're tough brutes so far as weather
is concerned. Durin' the coldest winter weather in the worst blizzards
they'll curl up anywhere on the snow an' sleep, an' when the snow has
drifted over 'em, get up, shake themselves, an' lie down in the same
place again for another sleep."

"They scrap a lot, too, don't they?"

"At feedin' time. When bein' fed they are like wild animals an' snarl
an' bite each other, keepin' up one continual fight until everything is
eaten. It's more than one man's job with a club to keep 'em quiet enough
for all the dogs to get their share. But when all the grub is done with,
they'll get moderately quiet again.

"At Golovin Bay, Jarvis found the Teller reindeer herd under Dr.
Kettleson. He was on his way to St. Michael for the Upper Yukon, same as
I told you, an' had started from Port Clarence three weeks before but
had been stopped by the deep snow. So Jarvis sent back the dog teams to
Bertholf, who was waiting for them at Unalaklik, and started out with
reindeer teams."

"How do reindeer travel?" queried the boy.

"All right, in winter, but they're irregular," the other replied. "Every
one has got to be ready in the morning for the start, for the instant
the head team moves, all the deer