202 My Dogs in the Northland 



This was very hard work, and so a halt 

 was frequently called. As the Indians are 

 all smokers, of course at these delays the 

 pipe was immediately filled and smoked. 

 Some Hudson's Bay traders were in the 

 habit of marking the day by saying it was so 

 many " pipes " long, meaning that they with 

 their Indian dog-drivers had stopped so 

 many times to rest and smoke. 



Muff did not like these delays. She was 

 eager to be on the " go " continually. Some- 

 times she would show her spirit by refusing 

 either to lie down or even to sit down on 

 her haunches which is the general custom of 

 the dogs when a halt is called. 



The instant the rest was ended and the 

 journey was resumed, she was simply wild 

 with delight. In the most frantic way would 

 she spring to her work and anticipate the 

 movements of the more sedate and less ex- 

 citable dogs. 



Poor Muff! alas, she did this once too 

 often ! For as one bitter cold morning we 

 were about starting from the camp where 

 the sled was deeply imbedded in the snow 

 and her companion dogs in the train were 

 slow in coming to her help, she plunged so 

 desperately at her work that she snapped 



