382 CONQUERING THE ARCTIC ICE 



me to dinner, and, wonder of wonders, gave us fresh milk direct 

 from the udders of a cow. 



I found out that she kept a cow on the premises, and after 

 dinner we went out to have a look at the poor animal which 

 gave us the rare pleasure of fresh milk far from home in a 

 strange climate. 



My dogs were so tired and their feet in such a state that 

 they could not even walk over to Nome, so I gave them away 

 to people who promised to be kind to them. Poor little 

 Journiska, who had slept with me in the tent and very often in 

 my bag, had been my best friend on the trail, my old leader 

 and constant companion on all sledge trips ; now I had to part 

 with him, which, however, I did with a heavy heart. And my 

 four-footed friend seemed to have a vague idea that I was taking 

 leave of him, for he whimpered and licked my face and hands, 

 looked appealingly at me as if he would ask me to take him with 

 me, howled with dismay when I left, and I was told that he 

 howled most of that night. Faithful little animal, he had 

 suffered hardships on the trail, he had been footsore and wet, 

 he had felt the whip and the pangs of hunger, but whenever he 

 saw that I was unoccupied he would come up to me, jump 

 about on his sore feet, and play and frisk about as if nothing 

 was the matter. No wonder that I was sorry to say good-bye 

 to him ! 



