How they flew over the ground; how exhilarating the air; how light the
sled. And then it suddenly dawned upon Baldy that the sled was too
light. When Allan was not running behind with a tight grasp on the
handle-bars, he was usually perched at the back on the projecting
runners; and for some time the dog had not noticed this additional
weight. Then, too, he was beginning to miss his master's voice--"Hi,
there, Tom, Dick, Harry, snowbirds in sight; rabbits, Spot; road house,
Barney." Of course all of the dogs knew perfectly well that it was only
a joke; that snowbirds, rabbits and road houses are things that do not
concern you at all when you are being driven in a race. But they enjoyed
the little pleasantry, nevertheless, and it gave them delightful
subjects to think about that might become possibilities when they were
not in harness.
If "Scotty" was not addressing them personally, he was often singing
bits of Scotch ballads, or whistling scraps of rag-time, which was
wonderfully cheering, and gave them a sense of companionship with him.
At last the instinct that all was not right was too strong for Baldy.
Stopping suddenly, he looked back and discovered that they were
driverless.
He realized that such halts were most unwise; but the team without Allan
was as a ship without a Captain and to Baldy there was but one thing to
do--to find "Scotty" at all hazards.
For an instant there was danger of a mutiny amongst the dogs. Tom, Dick
and Harry tacitly agreed that it was a marvelous chance to make that
snowbird joke a charming reality; there was a stirring of McMillan's
fiery blood, for he still admitted but one source of control; a plump
fluffy hare, scurrying by within range of Spot's young eyes inspired him
with a desire to give chase, as once again he quite forgot the grave
importance of filling a position in a racing team.
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