THE DOGS 277 



In training a leader, a female is generally chosen as less 

 likely to be damaged by the others fighting with her, 

 an accident which, at certain times, would cost a man his 

 life. The ideal team is a clever mother followed by a dozen 

 of her own pups. Mixed teams, however powerful, are 

 never so good. The dogs soon learn to turn at the word of 

 command. The whole team will sometimes learn to " turn " 

 without waiting for the leader ; but that is rare. The dogs 

 get to know their own places in a team, and, if allowed to 

 run loose for any cause, such as an accident or sickness, will 

 nearly always come and run in their places. I have had 

 so much trouble with a dog doing that and getting repeat- 

 edly run over for his pains, that I have had to lash him on 

 the komatik to save his life. 



There can be no question that the dogs love to be driven. 

 They go perfectly wild with excitement when they are in 

 harness. The komatik must be lashed to a stump or stone, 

 and the line cut only when the driver is ready to go. The 

 team then shoots off like an arrow from a bow. 



They are, of course, flesh eaters, and, by nature, purely 

 carnivorous, only touching meal and farinaceous foods when 

 compelled by dire hunger. During my years in Labrador 

 they have killed two children and one man, and eaten 

 another. In the case of the second man the evidence went 

 to show that he was not killed by the dogs, though his dead 

 body was devoured by them. In that case (winter of 1906), 

 a man, his wife, and son got lost. Their bodies were found 

 only when the snow melted away during the following 

 summer. Of the owner of the dogs only the bones were 

 discovered. As the dogs returned in good condition after 

 a fortnight's absence, all of them were shot. The other 



