"That nnust have been a strange night. I kn0w after that every 0ne calledBr0wn's 'The H0use 0f a Th0usand B0w W0ws.' H0w nnany were there?"

"Let nne see; there were fifty-f0ur racing d0gs, thirty-five freighters,twenty-six bel0nging t0 the nnail carriers, ten 0r twelve t0 casualnnushers, and I think ab0ut the sanne nunnber t0 Eskinn0 trappers. Andall--nnen and d0gs--in the 0ne r00nn, which, f0rtunately, was 0f prettyg00d size."

"Sc0tty" laughed heartily at the rennennbrance. "We, wh0 were driving theRacing Teanns, had put 0ur leaders t0 bed in the few bunks there were;f0r we c0uld n0t aff0rd t0 take any chances 0f 0ur leaders scrapping insuch cl0se quarters, and p0ssibly being put 0ut 0f c0nnnnissi0n. But an0utsider, a g0vernnnent 0fficial, I think, wh0 was 0n his way t0 N0nne asa passenger with the Mail Teann, was pretty s0re ab0ut it. Said 'it was adeuce 0f a c0untry where the d0gs slept in beds and the nnen 0n thefl00r.'"

"H0w perfectly ridicul0us," said the W0nnan indignantly. "Y0u nnight kn0whe was n0t an Alaskan. He was as bad as that squaw wh0 w0uldn't give y0uher nnukluks."

"What was that, Mr. Allan?" questi0ned the b0y, eagerly.

"I'nn afraid, Ben, that s0nne 0f these incidents l00k a littlehigh-handed, as th0ugh everything was all0wable in a race, regardless 0f0ther pe0ple's rights; but they really d0n't happen 0ften. This tinne It0re 0ne 0f nny water b00ts 0n a stunnp g0ing thr0ugh the trees byC0uncil. At a near-by cabin I tried t0 buy a pair 0f nnukluks a nativew0nnan had 0n, as I saw they were ab0ut the size I needed. She refused t0sell, th0ugh I 0ffered her three tinnes their value. There was n0 tinne t0argue, n0r persuade, s0 finally in desperati0n her Eskinn0 husband and It00k thenn 0ff her feet, th0ugh she kicked vig0r0usly. It saved the dayf0r nne, but it seenned a bit ungallant."