I902] DESCRIPTION OF THE DOG TEAM ii 



then as the word came to start, he would push affectionately 

 against the leader, as much as to say, ' Now, come along,' and 

 brace his powerful chest to the harness. At the evening halt 

 after a long day he would drop straight in his tracks and 

 remain perfectly still with his great head resting on his paws ; 

 other dogs might clamour for food, but ' Nigger ' knew perfectly 

 well that the tent had to be put up first. Afterwards, however, 

 when one of us approached the dog-food, above the howling 

 chorus that arose one could always distinguish the deep bell- 

 like note of the leading dog, and knew that if disturbance was 

 to be avoided, it was well to go to the front end of the trace 

 first. 



* Lewis ' was a big, thick-coated, brindled dog, a very 

 powerful but not a consistent puller ; always noisily affectionate 

 and hopelessly clumsy, he would prance at one and generally 

 all but succeed in bowling one over with boisterous affection. 

 He was very popular with everyone, as such a big, blustering, 

 good-natured animal deserved to be. 



' Jim ' was a sleek, lazy, greedy villain, up to all the tricks 

 of the trade ; he could pull splendidly when he chose, but 

 generally preferred to pretend to pull, and at this he was 

 extraordinarily cunning. During the march his eye never left 

 the man with the whip, on whose approach ' Jim ' could be 

 seen panting and labouring as though he felt sure that every- 

 thing depended on his efforts; but a moment or two later, 

 when the danger had passed, the watchful eye would detect 

 Master * Jim ' with a trace that had a very palpable sag in it. 

 Yet with all his faults it was impossible not to retain a certain 

 affection for this fat culprit, who was so constantly getting 

 himself into hot water. 



The general opinion of 'Spud' was that he was daft — 

 there was something wanting in the upper storey. In the 

 middle of a long and monotonous march he would suddenly 

 whimper and begin to prance about in his traces ; in dog- 

 language this is a signal that there is something in sight, and 

 it always had an electrical effect on the others, however tired 

 they might be. As a rule they would set off at a trot with 



