B ALDY OF NOME 



of the fourteen teams entered in the race 

 protested against starting in the storm; 

 for these "Men of the High North/' in 

 serious undertakings or in sport, are ready 

 to abide by the Luck of the Trail. And 

 so, one by one, they all left, and the bliz- 

 zard grew in fury as they went down the 

 coast. Like phantom teams they silently 

 sped far out over the frozen waters of 

 Bering Sea, threading their way between 

 the huge ice hummocks that rose, gro- 

 tesque and ghostly, in the misty grayness 

 of the whirling snow; past villages 

 and roadhouses, native settlements and 

 camps, pausing only when necessary for 

 food and drink and a rest. 



It was all a confused memory to Baldy 

 afterwards, only a few events standing out 

 clearly in his mind; the most important 

 being that he was selected to lead with 

 Kid through the terrors of the raging 

 storm, up Topkok Hill. "Scotty," know- 



[49] 



