A MEMORY OF SLEDGE-DOGS 95 



Those are the newly born. In a few days they will 

 rough it with the others outside. The porch is the 

 home of the dogs. 



I even kept a team myself, because I wanted to 

 have strong dogs for the sledge journeys. Hand- 

 some fellows they were, well fed and well cared for ; 

 but little John liked his own dogs best. 



Dogs that work every day, ' ' he said, * ' are 

 more used to the pulling and do not tire. Your dogs 

 only work sometimes, and on other days they are 

 fed without working. It is not good for dogs." 



So whenever there came a travelling time little 

 John brought a few of his own dogs along and 

 harnessed them w^th mine. Lean, hungry-looking 

 things they were, that toiled with noses dowTi, and 

 set a rare example of pace and staying power to the 

 others. They were workers, those dogs of little 

 John's. They ran all day with traces tight. They 

 seemed to know John's voice and did what he bid 

 them without complaint. They swallowed their food 

 when the day was done, and curled themselves to 

 sleep in the snow. They moved away and shivered 

 if I tried to pet them. 



On one of our journeys, John brought a special 

 dog a great, gaunt brute with yellow coat, a 

 strange, uncanny creature that ever and again raised 

 its head to give a weird half human yell. " Mauja," 

 it shrilled, "mauja, maujarluk " (soft snow, soft 

 snow) ; and always came this howl of distress when 

 the way was toilsome. As I sat upon the sledge the 

 cry came to me, above the creaking of the runners 

 and above the panting of the toiling team. The 



