1911] OUR FIRST WINTER 45 



But at the first obstruction, such as rough ice, the 

 sledge would go to pieces; and if a hill or glacier was to 

 be negotiated, then it would be necessary to unload and 

 carry the cargo to the top piece by piece. Therefore, 

 the question as to how much dogs can pull is a diflBcult 

 one to answer, depending upon the qualities of the 

 sledge, upon the distance to be traveled, upon the 

 strength of the driver, upon the strength of the dogs, 

 and again and always upon the sledging surface. 



On the 1914 trip my ten dogs were pulling, upon 

 leaving home, 625 pounds; on the 1917 trip they were 

 handling 850. 



But to get back to the glacier. On our return, in 

 company with many visiting sledges, the descending 

 northern slope was taken with the same speed, but with 

 the comforting thought that the end was a soft snow- 

 bank. When half-way down I looked back over my 

 shoulder at Noo-ka-ping-wa's leaping team, and, to my 

 horror, discovered We-we, his wife, clinging alone to 

 the swaying load of bags and skins! Heavens! And 

 she was to become a mother within a few days! What 

 was he trying to do? Kill her.^ Rolling from the 

 sledge, I turned and ran back up the slope, hoping to 

 check the team with the whip. The dogs swerved down 

 into the gully between the glacier and the cliff. A 

 plunge, a leap of the sledge, a shower of sparks, and 

 then all was still. An arm protruded from beneath the 

 confused mass. As I lifted the sledge my gravest fears 

 were quickly dispelled by a smothered laugh. She 

 calmly informed me that she had had a very fast ride. 

 My conclusion was that if her man wanted to kill her 

 he must take an ax and catch her asleep! 



