He was appalled by such a solid
mass of human beings--for of course the courts, schools, and business
houses were all closed in honor of this important occasion; and probably
the only people in all of Nome not bending their steps toward the
starting place were those unavoidably detained in the hospital or jail.
Women who would not have been out of place on Fifth Avenue or Bond
Street, women to whom even the French Poodle would have given his
approval; men of the West in flannel shirts and cowboy hats; miners
from the Creeks, gathered from all corners of the Earth; Eskimos in
their furs with tiny babies strapped on their backs; rosy-cheeked
children--all hurried to the point where the long journey was to begin.
Nomie was everywhere, barking delightedly, and giving each team an
impartial greeting.
Oolik Lomen with his latest doll, acquired that very morning from some
careless mother more intent upon sporting affairs than domestic duties,
paraded superciliously up and down, plainly bored by the proceedings;
but attending because it was the correct thing to do.
What a relief it was to reach the open space on the ice of Bering Sea,
in front of the town, where the fast gathering multitudes were being
held back by ropes, and kept in line by Marshals in trappings of the
club colors.
Presently the merry jingle of bells, and loud shouts, announced the
approach of the Royal Sled. Covered with magnificent wolf robes, and
drawn by twelve young men, fur-clad from head to foot--her "human
huskies"--the Queen of the North dashed up to the Royal Box, where,
surrounded by her ten pretty maids of honor, like her clad in rare furs
of Arctic design and fashioning, she was given an imposing reception by
the judges and directors of the Kennel Club.
Pages:
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166