第40章 A DAUGHTER OF THE AURORA(3)

Jack Harrington had anticipated this crush and waited by his sled until it untangled.Louis Savoy, aware of his rival's greater wisdom in the matter of dog-driving, had followed his lead and also waited.The rout had passed beyond ear-shot when they took the trail, and it was not till they had travelled the ten miles or so down to Bonanza that they came upon it, speeding along in single file, but well bunched.There was little noise, and less chance of one passing another at that stage.The sleds, from runner to runner, measured sixteen inches, the trail eighteen; but the trail, packed down fully a foot by the traffic, was like a gutter.On either side spread the blanket of soft snow crystals.

If a man turned into this in an endeavor to pass, his dogs would wallow perforce to their bellies and slow down to a snail's pace.

So the men lay close to their leaping sleds and waited.No alteration in position occurred down the fifteen miles of Bonanza and Klondike to Dawson, where the Yukon was encountered.Here the first relays waited.But here, intent to kill their first teams, if necessary, Harrington and Savoy had had their fresh teams placed a couple of miles beyond those of the others.In the confusion of changing sleds they passed full half the bunch.

Perhaps thirty men were still leading them when they shot on to the broad breast of the Yukon.Here was the tug.When the river froze in the fall, a mile of open water had been left between two mighty jams.This had but recently crusted, the current being swift, and now it was as level, hard, and slippery as a dance floor.The instant they struck this glare ice Harrington came to his knees, holding precariously on with one hand, his whip singing fiercely among his dogs and fearsome abjurations hurtling about their ears.The teams spread out on the smooth surface, each straining to the uttermost.But few men in the North could lift their dogs as did Jack Harrington.At once he began to pull ahead, and Louis Savoy, taking the pace, hung on desperately, his leaders running even with the tail of his rival's sled.

Midway on the glassy stretch their relays shot out from the bank.

But Harrington did not slacken.Watching his chance when the new sled swung in close, he leaped across, shouting as he did so and jumping up the pace of his fresh dogs.The other driver fell off somehow.Savoy did likewise with his relay, and the abandoned teams, swerving to right and left, collided with the others and piled the ice with confusion.Harrington cut out the pace; Savoy hung on.As they neared the end of the glare ice, they swept abreast of the leading sled.When they shot into the narrow trail between the soft snowbanks, they led the race; and Dawson, watching by the light of the aurora, swore that it was neatly done.

When the frost grows lusty at sixty below, men cannot long remain without fire or excessive exercise, and live.So Harrington and Savoy now fell to the ancient custom of "ride and run." Leaping from their sleds, tow-thongs in hand, they ran behind till the blood resumed its wonted channels and expelled the frost, then back to the sleds till the heat again ebbed away.Thus, riding and running, they covered the second and third relays.Several times, on smooth ice, Savoy spurted his dogs, and as often failed to gain past.Strung along for five miles in the rear, the remainder of the race strove to overtake them, but vainly, for to Louis Savoy alone was the glory given of keeping Jack Harrington's killing pace.