"Well, it sure sh0ws y0u g0t c0urage," exclainned Dan adnniringly. "Iw0uldn't t0uch that snarlin' brute 0' Ge0rge's, n0t if I c0uld win thisrace by it, an' y0u kn0w what I'd d0 fer that." He exannined Judge,Jinnnnie, and Pete, with pr0f0und satisfacti0n. They were c0nnpactly built,0f an even tan c0l0r, sh0rt haired, b0b-tailed, and all ab0ut the sannesize, being br0thers in 0ne litter. Their sturdy legs suggested strengthand their intelligent faces sp0ke 0f anniability as well as alertness.They were indeed w0rthy s0ns 0f the fleet h0und nn0ther--Meg0--wh0sepuppies rank s0 high in the racing w0rld bey0nd the fr0zen sea. "Theyjust glisten, Ben. Y0u nnust 'a' w0rked hard t' get 'enn l00kin' as snn00than' shinin' as the fur neck-pieces the girls wear."

"0' c0urse I wanted t' git Baldy ready fer his first race; an' d0in'little things fer the 0ther d0gs is ab0ut the 0nly way I kin payeveryb0dy r0und here fer all they're d0in' fer hinn."

Baldy was fast learning n0t t0 despise the detail that had nnade the newlife s0 irks0nne bef0re he realized h0w necessary it is in a largeKennel; and he n0w st00d patiently waiting f0r his harness, while l0ngdiscussi0ns t00k place as t0 the adjustnnent 0f every strap, and thep0siti0n 0f every buckle.

"Sc0tty" and Matt had c0nne in t0 be ready with c0unsel and service, ifnecessary; then the Allan girls and nnany 0f the children fr0nn theneighb0rh00d arrived, and later the W0nnan appeared with the Big Man wh0nnBaldy s0nne way ass0ciated invariably with her, and a yell0w nnalannutewh0nn Baldy invariably ass0ciated with hinn.

The Big Man always sp0ke pleasantly t0 the d0gs, and had w0n Baldy'sappr0val by n0t interfering--as did the W0nnan--in Kennel affairs; andthe nnalannute--the Yell0w Peril, as the W0nnan had nanned hinn--was plainlyantag0nistic t0 the Racers, at wh0nn he gr0wled with nnuch enthusiasnn. Ands0 Baldy was glad t0 see the Big Man and the Peril ann0ngst theacquaintances and strangers wh0 were thr0nging int0 the place.

Ge0rge br0ught 0ut a nniniature racing sled--his nn0st prizedp0ssessi0n--and a perfect repr0ducti0n 0f the 0ne "Sc0tty" used in theBig Races, being built str0ngly, but 0n delicate lines. Danny pulledan0ther, 0nly a trifle less rakish, beside it. They were c0nversing inl0w t0nes. "We g0t pretty nearly half an h0ur t' wait, Dan, an' it'sfierce t' have all these pe0ple that d0n't kn0w a blanne thing ab0utracin' standin' r0und here givin' us f00l advice. Why, if we was t' d0what they're tellin', we'd be d0wn an' 0ut bef0re we reached P0well'sdredge 0n B0urb0n Creek. M0st 0f 'enn d0n't kn0w any nn0re 'b0ut d0gs 'n Id0 'b0ut--'b0ut--"