180 ON THE BARRIER 



and provisions and equipment weighing altogether 

 660 pounds. It was my team that was to open the 

 ball. The sea party had all collected on deck to 

 witness the first start. All was now ready; after count- 

 less efforts on our part, or, if it is preferred, after a 

 thorough thrashing for every dog, we had at last got 

 them in a line before the sledge in Alaska harness. 

 With a flourish and a crack of the whip we set off. 

 I glanced at the ship. Yes ; as I thought all our com- 

 rades were standing in a row, admiring the fine start. 

 I am not quite sure that I did not hold my head rather 

 high and look round with a certain air of triumph. If 

 I did so, it was foolish of me. I ought to have waited; 

 the defeat would have been easier to bear. For defeat 

 it was, and a signal one. The dogs had spent half a 

 year in lying about and eating and drinking, and had 

 got the impression that they would never have anything 

 else to do. Not one of them appeared to understand 

 that a new era of toil had begun. After moving for- 

 ward a few yards, they all sat down, as though at a 

 word of command, and stared at each other. The most 

 undisguised astonishment could be read in their faces. 

 When at last we had succeeded, with another dose of 

 the whip, in making them understand that we really 

 asked them to work, instead of doing as they were told 

 they flew at each other in a furious scrimmage. Heaven 

 help me! what work we had with those eight dogs 

 that day! If it was going to be like this on the 



