AND KAYAK 57 



could see nothing but some black and shadowy 

 shapes moving to and fro in the dim glimmer 

 of a lantern, and if it had not been for the 

 spice of new excitement I could have wished 

 myself back among the blankets. I was well 

 padded with woollens and sealskins, but the 

 night air nipped my nose a little, and I was 

 glad to keep furtively rubbing with my seal- 

 skin glove. 



Julius, like the experienced traveller that 

 he was, went over the list of necessaries to 

 make sure that we had got them all aboard, 

 and then told me that he was ready to start. 

 Immediately hands came thrusting forward 

 from all parts of the darkness, and I realised 

 that a huge crowd of people had silently 

 collected to see us off, and to shake our hands 

 and wish us " Aksunai." " Aksuse," I shouted, 

 " Taimak (ready), Julius," and at the word 

 away went Jerry along the track, and the 

 dogs went racing after him. The line tightened 

 with a jerk, and the sled started with a bound 

 that nearly threw me off. Some good friend 

 seized the lantern, and ran along with it to 

 show the way among the boulders, but he had 

 to be nimble to keep out of the way of the 

 boisterous dogs. 



Sled dogs, unless they are very tired, are 

 always eager to be on the move ; and ours 



