AND KAYAK 109 



roused, I suppose, very sleepy and slow ; but 

 the most of them were village dogs, lean and 

 furtive. 



But those village dogs were working clogs, 

 used to hauling loads of seals and firewood ; 

 and so we made ready for the journey. Then 

 came another trouble : my other driver 

 marched in. 



&quot; Are we going to start ? Look, bad storm 



coming,&quot; and he pointed towards the north. 



4 Never mind, Kristian, we must go.&quot; 



&quot; Ahaila,&quot; said Kristian, and went to help 



Julius harness the dogs. 



News soon spread, and the whole village 

 turned out to see the start. As I walked 

 down to take my place on the sled the old 

 Eskimo schoolmaster laid his hand on my 

 sleeve. &quot; Don t go,&quot; he said, &quot; you will all 

 be lost. Don t go.&quot; 



His concern was real, so I called my drivers. 

 &quot; What do you say ? &quot; I asked them. &quot; Are 

 you willing to go ? ?: 



&quot; Illale &quot; (of course), they said. &quot; Ready,&quot; 

 said I, &quot;go ahead.&quot; The dogs slowly raised 

 themselves on their legs, and whined as they 

 trotted along the bumpy path towards the sea 

 ice ; and the heavy wrack of the northern 

 storm came bowling along to meet us. 

 &quot; Aksuse,&quot; shouted the people, &quot; be strong,&quot; 



