PREPARING FOR OUR JOURNEY^^ -, 193 



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the ordinary course of proceedings was in order, and they tod 

 showed their dehght at the prospect by their gambols and froHcs. 

 It was really somewhat difficult work to harness them. They would 

 allow themselves to be caught only with great difficulty, and then 

 would soon manage one way or another to break loose just when 

 we thought we had secured them, and were off again barking at 

 us from behind the woodpile some yards distant. It is a matter of 

 no small difficulty to "rig" a komatik for a trip, getting all the lashings 

 and the ropes in proper order, especially when seven dogs are to be 

 caught and harnessed separately, their lines fastened to the petook 

 (if this is the proper spelling, which I could not ascertain cer- 

 tainly), being what we call the rope to a sled. The coldness 

 of the air chilled our fingers ; the dogs provoked us with their 

 uncalled-for gambols and frolics, refusing to be caught, though 

 they seemed to regard it as great sport. At last the three large 

 dogs and the three puppies, which latter had lately been broken 

 in were all harnessed ; the effects mentioned were tightly strapped 

 on the sled, and all was ready. It is a curious sight to see the 

 dogs thus harnessed striving to start the sled, each on his own 

 account. When the last one is harnessed, if the team is a good 

 one, each dog starts off with a run in a separate direction ; it needs 

 a good driver to control them or hold them in, or I should say 

 hold the sled in, until he is ready to start. The effect presented 

 reminds one much of the directions in which the five fingers point 

 when the hand is spread out to its fullest extent. Each dog starts off 

 with a rush, brings up at the end of his harness with a thug, as the 

 narrow but short sealskin thong tightens, and the dog is elevated 

 several feet in the air. The driver stands holding the komatik back 

 with both hands by main force, while he shouts at the top of his 

 voice to the dogs, with very little effect, to stop them or hold them 

 in until he is ready. It was a cold morning, but we had not long 

 to wait. Hurrying out of doors, and waving good-bye, we were off 

 the moment the hi, hi, hi, told that all was ready. 



When a team of good dogs first starts off it is almost, and one might 

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