THE WOMAN, THE RACERS, AND OTHERS
Even after the boys' race, when George and Dan often singled him out for
special use, and the joy of a run with Ben Edwards was almost an
inevitable part of the day's program, there were still a number of
matters that were distinctly trying to Baldy.
He could not, for one thing, quite figure out the Woman, nor reconcile
himself to her constant presence and aimless wanderings about the place.
When "Scotty" and Matt, or even Danny and George came in, it was for
some evident purpose; when the boy appeared, it was to see him
exclusively, but it was different with her.
She apparently loved all of the dogs, but she had no idea of discipline,
and casually suggested all sorts of foolish and revolutionary privileges
for them that would have meant ruin in no time.
She held the tiniest puppies in her lap when she should have known it
was not good for them, spent hours playing with the young dogs with no
attempt at training; and he could not forget that she had tried, the
first day he had ever met her, to drag him ignominiously into her sled.
Even Ben's evident friendliness toward her did not overcome Baldy's
disapproval, though he frequently went with them for long walks which
would have been far more agreeable could he have been with the boy
alone. She quite monopolized his chum, talking so earnestly that the dog
was almost ignored, and could only trot along with the consolation that
Ben shared was better than Ben absent.
Then, too, she was not in the least discriminating, and told Tom, who
perhaps had as many faults as any member of the team, that he had an
"angel face"; spoke of Dick and Harry, clever imitators of their
brother's misdeeds, as "The Heavenly Twins"; and alluded to Irish and
Rover, gentle Irish Setters, as "Red Devils," which was so rankly unjust
that Baldy, who knew not automobiles, was amazed at her stupidity. To
Baldy the word "Devil" had an evil sound, for when he had heard it at
Golconda it was generally associated with a kick or a blow. She even
ostentatiously walked past the chained dogs sometimes, carrying fluffy
Jimmie Gibson, the baby blue fox from the Kobuk, which was tantalizing
to a degree. But when she let Jack McMillan put his paws on her
shoulders, and lay his big head against her cheek, calling him a
"perfect lamb" or a "poor dear martyr," in a tone that betrayed
affectionate sympathy, Baldy turned away in disgust.
As a matter of fact these attentions and endearments were exceedingly
unwise, for they were invariably directed toward the very dogs who were
most apt to over-value physical charm and ingratiating tricks of manner.
But there was one thing more objectionable still that could be laid at
her door--she was constantly lowering the general tone of the Kennel.
The stables where the Racers were kept gave shelter, also, to a few
others whose merits warranted their sharing in the special care bestowed
upon the fleet-footed Sweepstakes Winners. The latter all carried
themselves with a conscious dignity that befitted their fame and
aspirations; but gradually Baldy noticed that through the Woman there
were being introduced a number of ordinary strangers who made use of the
place, and were housed and fed, till it began to look like a transient
dog hotel.
She brought them because they were tired and hungry, lame, halt or
blind; or worse still, just because they "seemed to like her." No reason
was too trivial, no dog too worthless. Matt shamelessly upheld her,
"Scotty" submitted, while Baldy sulkily glowered at these encumbrances
who were more fit for the pound than the Allan and Darling Racing
Stables. For Baldy had but one criterion; that of efficiency as the
result of honest endeavor. And it was indeed a trial for a conscientious
plodder to see the ease with which idle canines possessed themselves of
the comforts and privileges that by right belong alone to those whose
industry has earned them.
Had Baldy been a French Poodle, with little tufts of hair cut in
circles round his ankles, and a kinky lock tied with a splashing bow
over his eyes, he would probably, with delicate disdain, have thought of
her as lacking in "esprit de corps." As it was, being but a blunt
Alaskan, he growled rather sullenly when she came too near, and
considered that she had no more dog-pride than an Eskimo; and Baldy's
contempt for her could suggest no more scathing comparison.
There was no jealousy in his objections, for he now fairly gloried in
the sensation that Kid, Irish or McMillan created when they were in the
lead; and as the two latter at least were dogs that were coldly
indifferent to him, this was surely a test of his unselfishness.
He was perfectly willing, also, to welcome "classy" dogs, as George and
Dan called them, like Stefansson, Lipton, or dainty Margaret Winston,
from Kentucky. He even understood there were dogs, neither Workers nor
Racers, who had gained a kind of popular distinction that was recognized
by both the human and canine population of the City; and while it was
impossible for him to comprehend the _reason_, he accepted the _fact_
philosophically.
There was, for instance, Oolik Lomen, who was born on Amundsen's ship
the "Gjoa" when on the voyage that resulted in the discovery of the
Northwest Passage. Possibly on account of his celebrated birthplace, or
because of his unusual appearance, Oolik was haughty to the verge of
insolence; and to Baldy he represented the culmination of all the
charming but useless graces of the idle rich. He did nothing but lie on
the Lomen porch on a soft rug, or wander about with a doll in his mouth,
much as a certain type of woman lolls through life carrying a lap dog.
Then there was the tramp Nomie, the pet of the Miners' Union, and the
Fire Department. This fox terrier was a constant attendant at all
important affairs of the town--social or political--at parades,
christenings, weddings, and even funerals. At concerts or at the theatre
he walked out upon the stage, and waited quietly near the wings till the
program was finished. He went to church quite regularly, but was
non-sectarian, and was just as apt to appear at the Eskimo Mission
Chapel as at St. Mary's when the Bishop preached.
Rarely did he fail to be at all Council Meetings, informal receptions,
and formal balls. At these he was untiring, and would select a couple
for each dance and follow them through the mazes of the waltz and
one-step with great dexterity; visiting between times with his many
acquaintances.
The knowledge that Nomie assisted at every fire, and at all of the
drills of the Life Saving Crew on the beach made Baldy feel that these
social diversions were only an outlet for abundant vitality, since there
were not fires and wrecks enough to keep him busy; and a poor little fox
terrier, no matter _how_ ambitious, is debarred by his size from the
noble sport of racing, or the more prosaic business career of
freighting.
So it really seemed, on the whole, that Baldy was exceedingly liberal in
his estimate of dogs in general. And it was only his desire for a high
standard in his own Kennel that prompted his aversion to those waifs and
strays that she collected; who, of no possible use, were neither
professional beauties like Oolik, nor society favorites like Nomie, and
so really had no claim to any sort of recognition.
Neither did Baldy, because of his new associations and ambitions, gauge
his opinions of all dogs by racing tests alone. He still believed
implicitly in the dignity of labor; and his early residence amongst
freighters had enabled him to recognize the fact that endurance and good
common dog-sense are often of more value, even in a racing team, than
speed and mere pride of carriage.
In the occasional intervals when no feminine presence upset the calm and
system of his surroundings, there were periods when Baldy watched
intently the habits and characteristics of the other dogs, and tried to
fit himself to become a candidate for the Racing Team.
In this he was assisted by the boy, who was just as carefully studying
Allan's methods with his dogs, and putting them in practice every time
he took Baldy out for exercise. One was as eager for improvement as the
other, and "Scotty" and the Woman often remarked the unflagging energy
both displayed toward that end.
"Too bad that Ben's efforts are wasted on a dog that will never be much
to boast of, at best. He has strength and patience, but that is about
all. I believe, like George, that he lacks spirit."
Of course there had been no dramatic incidents in his life like those
of Jack McMillan's; he was no paragon like Kid; nor had he manifested
the marvelous intelligence of old Dubby. But on the other hand, there
was really nothing tangible so far in his career to make her feel that
he was incapable of development.
"You're wrong about Baldy," said "Scotty" thoughtfully. "I have been
watching him ever since the Juvenile Race; and he has certain latent
qualities that will make a good general utility dog of him for even a
racing team. He may not prove a leader, but he's dependable, not apt to
lose his head and stampede, as do some of the more spirited ones. He'll
do his modest part yet, in a big event."
"Well, you'll have to show me," exclaimed the Woman, whose speech was
now and then tinged unconsciously by her close fellowship with the
Wonder Workers.
Even Dubby's favorable notice was now frequently attracted toward Baldy;
and the fact that he was aspiring to belong to the Racing Team was
mitigated to a certain extent in the venerable huskie's sight by a
puppy-hood spent amongst the working classes. He was not born to an
exalted position, a natural aristocrat, like Tom, Dick or Harry; and
would not, as did they, glory in it ostentatiously. But if it came, he
would accept it with a solemn sense of obligation to do his best
anywhere it pleased his master to place him.
Unlike the Tolman brothers, McMillan, Irish and Rover, he did not curry
favor by the happy accident of birth, beauty, or personal magnetism; and
so Dubby began to bestow upon Baldy, for his modesty and industry, an
approbation not accorded by him to many of the others in the Kennel. And
Dubby's opinion of a new dog was worth much, for "Scotty" Allan himself
respected the experience and sagacity that governed it.
Possessed of the colorings and markings of his wolf forbears, as well as
their keen instinct in trail emergencies, Dubby combined with this the
faithful, loving nature of the dog branch of the family.
In his merest infancy he had given promise of unusual ability--a promise
more than fulfilled.
When hardly more than three months old he had learned the orders "Gee,"
"Haw," "Mush" and "Whoa" perfectly. And he was beginning to think a
little for himself when the rest of the litter were still undecided
whether "Gee" meant to turn to the right paw side, or the left paw side;
and were hardly convinced that "Mush" was "Go on" and not a terse
invitation to breakfast.
His later accomplishments were many. He could pick up an uncertain trail
when concealed by three feet of soft, freshly fallen snow; he could tell
if ice was thick enough to carry the weight of a loaded sled, when the
most seasoned trailsman was deceived, and he could scent a camp for four
or five miles with the wind in the right direction. Never but once in
his life had he been known to take the wrong route to a given point.
Then he mistook the faint glimmer of Venus, as she dimly showed above
the dark horizon, for the lantern on the ridge-pole of a road house;
which was poetic, but misleading, and proves that even dogs can come to
grief through too much star gazing.
He was always driven "loose" on the rare and gala occasions when, at his
own plainly expressed desire, he was placed again in temporary service.
With that liberty he made it his business to see that no dog was
shirking. A glance at a slack strap was enough to betray the idler; and
an admonishing nip on the culprit's ear or flank was the cause of a
reformation that was sudden and abject for a while at least.
The only punishment that had ever been meted out to Dubby for some
indiscretion, or an act of insubordination, was to hitch him up with the
rest of the team. There were no depths of humiliation greater, no shame
more poignant, and for days after such an ordeal he would show a
brooding melancholy that almost made the Woman weep in sympathy.
Now, pensioned and retired, with a record of over thirty thousand miles
in harness to his credit, he lived a delightful and exclusive existence
in his own apartments over the barn.
As he had taken Baldy into his favor, so too he included Ben in his
rather limited list of favorites; and the boy never wearied of hearing
from "Scotty" and the Woman their many tales of the huskie's remarkable
achievements.
"Even if he ain't a Racer," was the child's admiring assertion,
"everybody in the whole North knows Dub, and what he's done. I hope,"
wistfully, "that some day people'll speak o' Baldy jest like that."
"You can hardly expect that, Ben! Think of the hundreds and hundreds of
good dogs that are never known outside of their own kennels. Baldy is
obedient and willing, but it takes something extraordinary, really
brilliant, or dramatic, to give a dog more than a local reputation. Of
course there are a few, but very few, who have won such distinction.
John Johnson's Blue Eyed Kolma was a wonder for his docile disposition
and staying qualities. You can't match our Kid for all round good work,
nor Irish for speed. And Jack McMillan--"
"I don't believe I'd specify McMillan's claims to fame, or shall we say
notoriety," observed "Scotty," with a twinkle in his eye. "Then," he
resumed, "there were Morte Atkinson's Blue Leaders, that Percy
Blatchford drove in the second big race. When we met at Last Chance on
the way back, Blatchford nearly cried when he told me how those setters
had saved his hands from freezing. He had turned them loose to rest and
run behind at will, knowing they would catch up at the next stop. In
some way he had dropped the fur gloves he wore over his mittens, when he
took them off to adjust a sled pack, and did not miss them for some
time, until he ran into a fierce blizzard. Of course he could not go
back for them, and he feared his hands would become useless from the
cold. He was in a pretty bad fix, when up came the Blue Leaders, almost
exhausted, but each with a glove in his mouth."
"Oh, that was fine," murmured Ben.
"Give me bird-dog stock every time," continued Allan, "with a native
strain for strength and trail instincts. It's a combination that makes
our Alaskans just about right, to my idea."
"Naturally I feel that our half-breeds are best, too. But I do wish,"
regretfully, "that they could all be the same sort of half-breeds--to
make them more uniform as to size and style. With Kid and Spot part
pointer, Irish and Rover part setter, Jack McMillan verging on the
mastiff, and all the rest of them part something else, don't you think
it looks the least little bit as if we had picked them up at a remnant
sale?"
She caught sight of "Scotty's" face, full of shocked surprise.
"Don't say it," she exclaimed quickly; "both Ben and I know perfectly
well that 'handsome is as handsome does.' I learned it in my copy-book,
ages and ages ago. And it's true that they are the greatest dogs in all
the world, but they don't quite look it. Of course the year you won with
Berger's 'Brutes,' with that awkward, high-shouldered native, Mukluk, in
the lead, I learned that looks do not go very far in Arctic racing. But
certainly Fink's 'Prides' in their gay trappings of scarlet and gold did
seem more to suit the rôle of Winners when Hegness came in victorious
with them in the first race."
"At that, the 'Brutes' were the best dogs, and if it had not been for
our delay of eighteen hours at Brown's Road House, where all of the
teams had to lay up because of a howling gale, I am not at all sure that
the 'Prides' would not have lost out to the 'Brutes' in that race too."
"That must have been a strange night. I know after that every one called
Brown's 'The House of a Thousand Bow Wows.' How many were there?"
"Let me see; there were fifty-four racing dogs, thirty-five freighters,
twenty-six belonging to the mail carriers, ten or twelve to casual
mushers, and I think about the same number to Eskimo trappers. And
all--men and dogs--in the one room, which, fortunately, was of pretty
good size."
"Scotty" laughed heartily at the remembrance. "We, who were driving the
Racing Teams, had put our leaders to bed in the few bunks there were;
for we could not afford to take any chances of our leaders scrapping in
such close quarters, and possibly being put out of commission. But an
Outsider, a government official, I think, who was on his way to Nome as
a passenger with the Mail Team, was pretty sore about it. Said 'it was a
deuce of a country where the dogs slept in beds and the men on the
floor.'"
"How perfectly ridiculous," said the Woman indignantly. "You might know
he was not an Alaskan. He was as bad as that squaw who wouldn't give you
her mukluks."
"What was that, Mr. Allan?" questioned the boy, eagerly.
"I'm afraid, Ben, that some of these incidents look a little
high-handed, as though everything was allowable in a race, regardless of
other people's rights; but they really don't happen often. This time I
tore one of my water boots on a stump going through the trees by
Council. At a near-by cabin I tried to buy a pair of mukluks a native
woman had on, as I saw they were about the size I needed. She refused to
sell, though I offered her three times their value. There was no time to
argue, nor persuade, so finally in desperation her Eskimo husband and I
took them off her feet, though she kicked vigorously. It saved the day
for me, but it seemed a bit ungallant."
"It served her right for not being as good a sport as most of the
Eskimos. And anyway, every one on Seward Peninsula, of any nationality,
is supposed to know that whatever a driver or his dogs need, in the All
Alaska Sweepstakes, should be his without a dissenting voice or a
rebellious foot."
"Moose Jones used to say," quoted Ben rather timidly, "that most
Malamutes are stubborn. Was the leader you spoke of, Mukluk, stubborn
too, in the race you won with him?"
"Yes, he was stubborn, all right. Do you recall," turning to the Woman,
"the night I made him go 'round one corner for half an hour because he
refused to take the order the first time, and I was afraid of that
trait in him. It did not take long, however, to show him that I could
spend just as much time making him obey as he could spend defying me.
There's no use in whipping a dog like that. And with all his obstinacy,
he was, next to old Dubby, more capable of keeping a trail in a storm
than any dog I've ever handled. He had pads[2] of leather, and sinews of
steel. He was surely shy on beauty, though."
[Footnote 2: Feet.]
"Of course," her voice dropping to almost a whisper, "I would not admit
this anywhere but right here, in the privacy of the Kennel, and I
wouldn't say it here if the dogs could understand; but when it comes to
actual good looks, 'Scotty,'" the Woman confessed, "we are really not in
it with Bobby Brown's big, imposing Loping Malamutes, or Captain
Crimin's cunning little Siberians, with their pointed noses, prick ears,
and fluffy tails curled up over their backs like plumes."
"Yes, they do make a most attractive team," admitted Allan justly; "and
they're mighty good dogs too. But somehow they seem to lack the pride
and responsiveness that I find in those with bird-dog ancestry. Of
course each man prefers his own type, the one he has deliberately
chosen; and Fox Ramsay, and John or Charlie Johnson are convinced that
the tireless gait of their 'Russian Rats' in racing more than offsets
the sudden bursts of great speed of our 'Daddy Long Legs.'"
[Illustration: A TEAM OF SIBERIANS]
The Woman shrugged her shoulders. "Let us hope for the sake of the sport
that the matter will not be definitely decided for some time to come.
If, as Mark Twain says, 'it is a difference of opinion that makes horse
racing,' it seems to me it's about the widest possible difference of
opinion that makes dog racing; and each year's races have made the
difference more hopelessly pronounced."
"Well, there'll always be disagreements as to the merits of the various
racing dogs; but for a good all around intelligent and faithful worker,
I have never found a dog that could outdo Dubby here," and "Scotty"
affectionately caressed the old huskie who had come into the Kennel with
his friend Texas Allan, the cat, to find out what was interfering with
an expected walk.
"Sometimes Dub and I used to have disputes about a choice of roads, the
thickness of ice, or other details of traveling; but I will say that he
always listened tolerantly to all I had to offer in the way of
suggestions, and wagged his tail courteously to show there was no ill
feeling, even if he did get his way in the end. And, frankly, he was
generally right."
Which was, of course, only natural; for "Scotty" was, after all, only
human, while Dubby had the eyes, ears, and nose of his wolf forbears.
Dubby was a licensed character indeed, but Baldy realized, as did the
others, that his freedom was a reward of merit.
That he might not feel that his days of usefulness were over, he had
been given the honorary position of Keeper of the Kennel Meat; and much
of his life was now spent dozing peacefully before the meat-room door,
though he was ever ready to resent a covetous glance from unduly curious
dogs.
To be sure, there were besides the dignity and responsibility of his
high office certain perquisites that he thoroughly enjoyed--one of which
was the hospitality that was his to dispense.
He often invited old team-mates, or pitifully hungry puppies into his
quarters, where he would treat them to dog biscuit, dried fish, or a
drink of fresh water; but he never abused his privileges, and it was
only the worthy or helpless that appealed successfully to his charity.
His ample leisure now permitted also the cultivation of certain refined
tastes which had been dormant in his busy youth. He taught Fritz, the
house dog, whose only method of expression heretofore had been an
ear-piercing bark, to howl in a clear, high tenor, with wonderfully
sustained notes; so that together they would sit on the stable runway
and wail duets happily for hours at a time.
For his many virtues and great ability, as well as for these lighter
accomplishments, Baldy conceived an admiration for Dubby that would have
been boundless but for one weakness that was absolutely
incomprehensible--the huskie's devotion to the cat, Texas.
It was a strange friendship in a place where a cat's right to live at
all is contested every hour of the day, and where nine times nine lives
would not cover a span of more than a few months at the most, as a rule.
It had begun when Texas was little more than a kitten, and had wandered
away one day from the warm kitchen fire, out into the shed, and from
there into the street.
Delighted with her unaccustomed freedom, she chased a bit of whirling,
eddying paper across a strip of snow, into the angle of a cabin; then
turning, gazed into the face of a big, ferocious dog who was already
licking his chops suggestively.
Since the prey was safely cornered, he generously decided to share the
anticipated excitement with some boon companions. And so, giving three
short, sharp cries and repeating the call several times, he was joined
by two other malamutes who, eager for the fun of killing a cat, drew in
close beside him.
It had all happened in a moment; but in that moment Dubby, out for
exercise, came upon the scene. He was no lover of cats, be it
understood; and he had often been guilty of making short work of one if
it chanced to cross his path when he was in quest of adventure. But this
was the Allan cat. He had often seen the girls carry it about in their
arms; and while it seemed a strange perversion to caress a kitten when
there were puppies about, or even babies, still the peculiarities of
your Master's Family must be respected. Even, if necessary, to the
extreme limit of defending their pet cats.
Then, too, there was something that had appealed to him in the plucky
stand of the terrified little creature. Eyes dilated with fear, every
hair on end, sputtering and spitting, she had unsheathed her tiny claws
and was prepared to make a brave fight for her life. The chances were
hopelessly against her--the dogs did not intend to let her run--and
Dubby felt that it was butchery, not sport.
Also, if Texas was hurt, the girls would be sad, and cry, and not play
for a long time. He knew, because that happened when their terrier Tige
was run over. And so, with one bound, he jumped upon the instigator of
the trouble, and caught him by the shoulder with his still strong, sharp
teeth. The other dogs wheeled in surprise; and in an instant there was a
battle as bloody as it was short and decisive. Dubby was a marvelous
tactician--the others only novices, and in a very brief period there
were three well-minced malamutes who limped disconsolately in different
directions; leaving a conquering hero on the field, with the spoils of
war--a ruffled gray kitten in a shivering state of uncertainty as to
her ultimate fate, but too weak to make any further defense.
Dubby picked her up in his mouth, and carried her back to the house,
where he carefully deposited her inside the shed, and waited until some
one answered his scratches on the door.
It marked the beginning of a companionship that lasted for years. Every
fine afternoon Dubby would take Texas out for a stroll; and even after
she was a huge seventeen pound cat, well able to hold her own, it was a
reckless dog indeed that showed any hostility toward Texas when Dub was
her body-guard.
One readily comprehends that he might graciously accept her gratitude;
but, as the French Poodle's People say, "Noblesse Oblige," and it
certainly seemed unnecessary that a dog of his achievement should flaunt
his affection for a mere cat in the eyes of the whole world.
While this caused strong disapproval in all canine circles, strangely
enough it apparently made no difference in his standing with men and
women. Mr. Fink, in his exalted position as President of the Nome Kennel
Club, and one of the most brilliant lawyers in Alaska besides, always
raised his hat to Dubby when they met, as a greeting from one keen mind
to another; for the man had watched the skill of the dog on the trail,
and knew that it was unsurpassed in the whole North. "Scotty" Allan
never failed to give every evidence of his sincere regard, and the Woman
had even perpetuated the undesirable association by having Dubby's
picture taken with Texas when they were out on one of their daily
promenades.
And so, admired by men and feared by dogs, the faithful huskie was
singularly exempt from the tragedies of a neglected, forlorn old age.
Ben regarded Dubby with admiring interest; and pondering for a while on
all that he had heard said, finally, "Do you think, Mr. Allan, you'll
ever find any one dog that kin race like Kid and be as smart on the
trail as Dub?" In his eagerness he did not wait for the reply. "Don't
you s'pose if a dog's really good t' begin with, an' some one that loves
him lots learns him all the things a' racin' dog's got t' know, that
he'd turn out so wonderful that everybody in Alaska 'ud know how great
he was--mebbe everybody in the world?"
The Woman smiled. "Have you any one in mind, Ben?"
"Yes, ma'am, no, ma'am; I was only thinkin'," he stammered as he
earnestly listened for "Scotty's" answer.
"I would not be surprised if such a thing _could_ happen, Sonny. You
know pretty nearly all good things are possible to good dogs--and good
boys."
And deep in his heart the boy vowed that he and Baldy would begin the
very next day to show what can be accomplished by those who, loving
much, serve faithfully. [Illustration]
VI
To Visit Those in Affliction
[Illustration]
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