He must know what the other teams have
done, and are capable of doing; he must drive his own race, and he must
know how the other men are driving theirs. He must decide wisely how
many dogs it is well to use--that matter also being optional with him.
For it is an important point to select enough dogs to keep up to the
required standard, yet not too many for good team work, in which
individual peculiarities have been merged in general harmony of action.
No precaution is neglected to insure the comfort of the contestants.
Commissary teams sent out by the Kennel Club leave supplies at all of
the Road Houses and camps that are to be used as rest stations--drugs
for emergencies, and all sorts of luxuries that would be too bulky to be
carried in the racing sleds, but which are shared impartially at the
different stops.
Each man must be certain of the best food for his dogs, and the length
of time it takes to digest it. The usual diet of the Allan and Darling
Racers, rolled oats, dried salmon, and the oily nutritious flesh of the
white whale, with a proper amount of bone, now was changed to chopped
beef and mutton, cooked with eggs. This was put up in hermetically
sealed tins, with enough in each for a feeding; and every dog's
allowance wrapped separately in muslin so that there might be no loss of
time in dividing it into portions.
And in all of these things "Scotty" Allan was a past master. Yet in
spite of his efforts and skill, they came in not first, but second;
which was, according to George and Dan, "not so worse for a scrub team,"
and according to Ben, "mighty good considerin' they didn't have Baldy.
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