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 dogs, 

 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. 



" Are we going to start ? Look, bad storm 

 coming," and he pointed towards the north. 

 " Never mind, Kristian, we must go." 

 " Ahaila," 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. " Don't go," he said, " you will all 

 be lost. Don't go." 



His concern was real, so I called my drivers. 

 " What do you say ? " I asked them. " Are 

 you willing to go ? " 



44 Illale " (of course), they said. " Ready," 

 said I, "go ahead." 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. 

 44 Aksuse," shouted the people, 44 be strong," 



