"Of course you can beat me drivin' without half tryin', George, an' if
Spot's feet wasn't so big, an' Queen didn't have such a rotten
disposition, an' Baldy knew he was alive, it 'ud be a regular cinch for
you. But the way things is, believe me, I'm goin' t' give you a run for
your money, with good old Mego's 'houn' dogs.'"
Both George and Dan had, of course, like all small boys in Nome, at one
time or another, made swift and hazardous dashes of a few hundred yards,
in huge chopping bowls purloined from their mothers' pantries; and drawn
by any one dog that was available for the instant, and would tamely
submit to the degradation. An infantile amusement, they felt now, in the
face of this real Sporting Event that was engaging the attention of the
entire town. And to complete the feeling that this was indeed no mere
child's play, the Woman came to them with two cups of hot tea to warm
them up, and steady their nerves on the trail. This they graciously
accepted and drank, in spite of its very unpleasant taste; for "Scotty"
always drank tea while giving Matt the last few necessary directions
before a race.
"All ready, boys, time to leave," called the Big Man cheerily. "Peril
and I will go ahead, and charge the multitudes so that you can get
through."
The Allan girls pressed forward hurriedly to give George two treasured
emblems of Good Luck--a four-leaf clover in a crumpled bit of silver
paper, and a tiny Billiken in ivory, the cherished work of Happy Jack,
the Eskimo Carver.
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