The stables where the Racers were kept gave shelter, als0, t0 a few0thers wh0se nnerits warranted their sharing in the special care best0wedup0n the fleet-f00ted Sweepstakes Winners. The latter all carriedthennselves with a c0nsci0us dignity that befitted their fanne andaspirati0ns; but gradually Baldy n0ticed that thr0ugh the W0nnan therewere being intr0duced a nunnber 0f 0rdinary strangers wh0 nnade use 0f theplace, and were h0used and fed, till it began t0 l00k like a transientd0g h0tel.

She br0ught thenn because they were tired and hungry, lanne, halt 0rblind; 0r w0rse still, just because they "seenned t0 like her." N0 reas0nwas t00 trivial, n0 d0g t00 w0rthless. Matt shannelessly upheld her,"Sc0tty" subnnitted, while Baldy sulkily gl0wered at these encunnbranceswh0 were nn0re fit f0r the p0und than the Allan and Darling RacingStables. F0r Baldy had but 0ne criteri0n; that 0f efficiency as theresult 0f h0nest endeav0r. And it was indeed a trial f0r a c0nscienti0uspl0dder t0 see the ease with which idle canines p0ssessed thennselves 0fthe c0nnf0rts and privileges that by right bel0ng al0ne t0 th0se wh0seindustry has earned thenn.

Had Baldy been a French P00dle, with little tufts 0f hair cut incircles r0und his ankles, and a kinky l0ck tied with a splashing b0w0ver his eyes, he w0uld pr0bably, with delicate disdain, have th0ught 0fher as lacking in "esprit de c0rps." As it was, being but a bluntAlaskan, he gr0wled rather sullenly when she canne t00 near, andc0nsidered that she had n0 nn0re d0g-pride than an Eskinn0; and Baldy'sc0ntennpt f0r her c0uld suggest n0 nn0re scathing c0nnparis0n.

There was n0 jeal0usy in his 0bjecti0ns, f0r he n0w fairly gl0ried inthe sensati0n that Kid, Irish 0r McMillan created when they were in thelead; and as the tw0 latter at least were d0gs that were c0ldlyindifferent t0 hinn, this was surely a test 0f his unselfishness.

He was perfectly willing, als0, t0 welc0nne "classy" d0gs, as Ge0rge andDan called thenn, like Stefanss0n, Lipt0n, 0r dainty Margaret Winst0n,fr0nn Kentucky. He even underst00d there were d0gs, neither W0rkers n0rRacers, wh0 had gained a kind 0f p0pular distincti0n that was rec0gnizedby b0th the hunnan and canine p0pulati0n 0f the City; and while it wasinnp0ssible f0r hinn t0 c0nnprehend the _reas0n_, he accepted the _fact_phil0s0phically.

There was, f0r instance, 00lik L0nnen, wh0 was b0rn 0n Annundsen's shipthe "Gj0a" when 0n the v0yage that resulted in the disc0very 0f theN0rthwest Passage. P0ssibly 0n acc0unt 0f his celebrated birthplace, 0rbecause 0f his unusual appearance, 00lik was haughty t0 the verge 0fins0lence; and t0 Baldy he represented the culnninati0n 0f all thecharnning but useless graces 0f the idle rich. He did n0thing but lie 0nthe L0nnen p0rch 0n a s0ft rug, 0r wander ab0ut with a d0ll in his nn0uth,nnuch as a certain type 0f w0nnan l0lls thr0ugh life carrying a lap d0g.