THE WHITE WORLD 



benk," the king dog of our team, was the most conspicu- 

 ous example. Large, with a mixed white, black, and 

 mouse colored coat, a tail which curled tightly over his 

 back, a broad intelligent head and a bright twinkling eye, 

 he was the embodiment of strength, courage and sagacity. 

 Ritenbenk was a wonderful fellow. By reason of his great 

 strength and highly superior intelligence, he had gained 

 the supremacy of the team. He was, therefore, the leader 

 in all the schemes for stealing our provisions. 



One day when he had stolen a ptarmigan, which had 

 been placed for safety on the ridge pole of the tent, he lay 

 down, and, apparently with no qualms of conscience, began 

 in the most complacent manner to eat it. I rushed at him 

 with a spade, expecting to drive him from our anticipated 

 dinner, but he was far from being the coward I had pic- 

 tured him. He gave vent to a growl of defiance, and stood 

 immovable, his sturdy legs wide apart, and his great bold 

 eyes looking squarely into mine. Of course, I might have 

 crushed his skull with a blow, but my admiration for his 

 courage overcame me, and I threw away the spade, and 

 called him by his familiar name " Rit," whereupon he trotted 

 up and rubbed his head in the most confiding manner 

 against my knee. 



Each pack of Greenland dogs has an acknowledged 

 leader, an absolute, autocratic king, who has won his way 

 to supremacy by fighting every other dog that dared to 

 enter the lists against him. Likewise each team has its 

 king, and this dog exercises undisputed sway over the 

 others, enforcing discipline and administering punishment 

 whenever in his judgment it is necessary; and it must be 

 admitted that the judgment of a king dog often appears to 

 an outsider to be biased. 



When Ritenbenk joined Lieutenant Greely's pack at the 

 Greenland town, from which he was named, a huge dog, 

 known as u Disco King," was the ruling spirit among his 

 companions, which were confined in a huge wooden pen 

 located on the main deck of the " Proteus." The battle for 

 supremacy was fierce and prolonged, and Disco King, 

 divested of his royal authority, was ever afterward a broken- 

 hearted mean-spirited outcast, who lived a melancholy, re- 

 gretful life, apart from his former subjects. He had not 



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