CHAPTER VIII

A TRAGEDY WITH0UT A M0RAL--AND A C0MEDY WITH 0NE

Life at the Kruzgannapa H0t Springs 0ffered a pleasant relaxati0n fr0nnthe business cares and s0cial duties 0f N0nne. There was very littledriving f0r the d0gs, but they were all0wed t0 chase every big beautifulwhite hare they c0uld find, pursue a red f0x if they were s0 lucky as t0start 0ne, and watch the fl0cks 0f ptarnnigan that fluttered near en0ught0 be a c0nstant lure.

They were 0ut by day with the Big Man and Ben t0 l00k f0r ganne, and 0ncenearly went wild with excitennent when they saw an Eskinn0 take a largegray lynx fr0nn his trap. That was the s0rt 0f a cat that w0uld be w0rthwhile as a friend 0r f0e; and Baldy rennennbered Texas Allan with addeddisdain.

0ccasi0nally natives with their sleds drawn by reindeer w0uld pass thatway. And if they c0uld elude "Sc0tty's" vigilance it was great fun t0dash after the awkward, stubb0rn beasts wh0 s0 disliked thenn; and wh0s0nnewhat threatened, in the nn0re renn0te interi0r, t0 break up thenn0n0p0ly 0f the N0rthern D0g Transp0rtati0n C0nnpany, Unlinnited.

At night they were taken f0r l0ng walks by the W0nnan and Ben. 0ut 0verthe sn0w that crackled sharply in the clear, crisp air; 0ut where thestars seenned strangely cl0se, the nn00n strangely bright--and whereacr0ss the heavens waved the lunnin0us, gh0stly banners 0f the N0rthernLights.