THE ESKIMO DOG 219 



of the team. The dog's harness is composed of two 

 thongs of reindeer skin, one going round the neck, 

 the other round the breast, and both connected by 

 a third thong passing between the fore legs. To 

 this harness, near the shoulders, are attached two 

 long leather straps which are fastened to the sled 

 at the other end. The dog team numbers from 

 twelve to fifteen. One dog, the most intelligent and 

 with the keenest scent, goes along at the head of the 

 pack ; the others follow, several abreast, the novices 

 nearest to the sled. Seated in the niche of his ve- 

 hicle, one leg out this way, one the other, feet almost 

 skimming the snow, the Eskimo drives his equipage 

 with an enormously long whip, for this whip must be 

 able to reach the farthest dog, seven or eight meters 

 from the sled. But he refrains as much as possible 

 from using it, since a lash from the whip is more 

 likely to promote disorder than to increase the 

 speed. The dog struck, not knowing whence the 

 blow came, lays the blame on its neighbor and bites 

 it ; the latter passes the compliment along to another, 

 which in turn hastens to worry the next; and in a 

 moment, spreading through the pack, the rough-and- 

 tumble fight becomes general. Then it is a task in- 

 deed to restore peace and get the broken or tangled 

 harness straightened out. 



' ' Hence the whip is but rarely called into service 

 to correct a too unruly dog, and it is chiefly with the 

 voice that the driver guides his team. The leading 

 dog is particularly attentive to the master's word: 

 he turns to the right, left, or goes straight ahead, 



