368 THE FRIENDLY ARCTIC 



some such thing, in which case the bed skins can be tied in small 

 bundles on top of the dogs' backs. 



One illustration will show a peculiar danger inherent in this 

 travel. I had been hunting ahead and was approaching some cari- 

 bou that were about a mile off our course. Both these caribou and 

 I were in plain sight and the men should have seen us, but they 

 did not see us and went right by. This exposed them to a danger 

 from which I protected them ordinarily, that of coming over a 

 hill crest without warning into close quarters with caribou. 



That is just what they did. Storkerson knew we needed meat 

 that evening and instead of looking after the dogs he commenced 

 blazing away at the caribou. He had fired two excited shots, both 

 without hitting, when one of the other men shouted to him to catch 

 the dogs. It was too late then. Out of the thirteen dogs Thomsen 

 and Ole were able to get hold of only four or five and the rest rushed 

 in full pursuit of the caribou. It happened that the packs of some 

 of them were heavily ballasted with stone, the meat ballast being 

 gone, and the smaller dogs were unable to run very fast. Some of 

 the bigger ones, however, even with their thirty or forty pounds, 

 were soon out of sight a mile or more away, following the herd. 

 They happened to run in my direction and I was able to head them 

 off. Only one dog escaped me. 



This was the middle of the day and we should have been able to 

 travel another four or five miles, but we had to camp and search for 

 this dog. The greatest danger was that his pack might come off 

 in such a way as to drag on the ground while still fast to his neck. 

 Some dogs will bite themselves loose but this particular dog had 

 never been known to do that, and I was afraid that if his pack came 

 off he might be tethered by it until he starved to death. Luckily we 

 found the pack, for he had been able to clear himself after he shed 

 it. But it was hours afterwards when the dog himself came back. 



As I tell it, this does not sound like a dangerous adventure. But 

 I have heard of many cases where the consequences were serious. 

 I know an Alaska Eskimo who with his wife and family was hunting 

 about six days' journey inland, when all of his dogs ran off with 

 their packs after a herd of caribou. The packs had been so light 

 and so well strapped that the dogs were able to run fast and far. 

 The Eskimo camped for two days hoping for the dogs to come back. 

 He then retreated to the coast, living on berries and roots all the 

 way, for the dogs had carried off all his ammunition. He and his 

 family barely escaped with their lives. The dogs were never heard 

 of again and doubtless starved to death. 



