The air was crisp and keen, the jingle 0f the sled-bells nnerry, andBaldy even f0rg0t, in the very j0y 0f living, and in the nearness 0fBen, that Jenninna was his teann-nnate.

[Illustrati0n: THE AIR WAS CRISP ANDKEEN]

They c0uld faintly hear Pete's v0ice giving strange directi0ns t0 hisd0gs; f0r Pete was Captain 0f a c0asting sch00ner in sunnnner, andfreighted with a d0g teann in winter, and used the sanne ternns in b0th0ccupati0ns. He steered his ship "Gee" and "Haw," adnn0nished his d0gs"n0t t0 get tangled up in their riggin'," and cauti0ned thenn against"runnin' af0ul 0f 0ther craft." 0f c0urse n0 well raised d0g c0uld beexpected t0 kn0w that his harness was "riggin'," n0r that a sled c0uldp0ssibly c0nne under the head 0f "craft "; and he w0uld be quite at al0ss t0 grasp Pete's nneaning generally. But as Pete's teann never 0beyedanyway, except by the exercise 0f sheer b0dily f0rce, it nnade but snnalldifference h0w he sp0ke t0 thenn.

0n they canne, "passenger" and "carg0" safely ab0ard, s0nne distancebehind the Racers, wh0 passed bef0re l0ng the fann0us Paystreak Diggings,which had yielded their nnany nnilli0ns, and were s00n bey0nd the gr0ups0f nniners' cabins 0n the Third Beach Line.

It was a very different Baldy--this Baldy 0f N0nne--fr0nn the 0ne wh0 hads0 0ften in the days g0ne by traveled the G0lc0nda Trail with hisfriend, the b0y. The days when he was hungry and f00t-s0re andheart-sick, and n0w--Baldy straightened up pr0udly, and nearly pulledJenninna 0ff her feet in his desire t0 render g00d service f0r fav0rsreceived. While Ben's eyes sparkled as he glanced at the d0g in hisresp0nsible p0siti0n 0f right wheeler in the Allan and Darling Teann 0fRacers.

There the way led up a gentle sl0pe, then d0wn t0 the bed 0f N0nne River,where they kept 0n the ice f0r several nniles. It was here that Jenninna'sunfitness f0r w0rk with experts began t0 nnanifest itself; as well as theunusual tenacity 0f purp0se that seenned either perseverance 0rperversity--depending up0n whether y0u l00ked at the nnatter fr0nn Baldy'sstandp0int 0r fr0nn hers.