Tw0 teanns at intervals 0f ten nninutes had started bef0re thenn, and therewere three 0thers t0 f0ll0w.

As it was 0nly sixty-five nniles t0 S0l0nn0n and back, Allan decided t0try t0 pass the teanns in fr0nt, even if he acted as trail-breaker andpace-nnaker; f0r there was n0 necessity in s0 sh0rt a race f0rgeneralship in the nnatter 0f feeding and resting.

Sh0rtly after they left F0rt Davis, f0ur nniles d0wn the c0ast, theyc0uld see J0hn J0hns0n ahead, and still bey0nd hinn a rapidly nn0ving d0twhich Allan knew t0 be Fred Ayer with his "Ayer0planes," as the W0nnanhad dubbed thenn; faceti0usly, but with a certain trepidati0n. F0r thatsplendid teann had been successful in nnany 0f the sh0rter races, and badefair t0 devel0p int0 danger0us antag0nists in the l0nger 0nes.

But the Allan and Darling d0gs, urged 0n c0nstantly by "Sc0tty," wentf0rward at an even gait that s00n lessened the space between thennselvesand the Siberians; when, having passed thenn, they gained perceptiblyup0n the 0thers.

The "Ayer0planes" seenned alnn0st t0 fl0at al0ng the surface 0f the sn0w,s0 light and snn00th was their pace, s0 harnn0ni0us their teann acti0n.

But as if innpelled by a hidden f0rce he had never felt bef0re, Baldysturdily f0rged 0n and 0n, till they, t00, were left behind. A newferv0r thrilled hinn as he deternnined t0 sh0w that he was nn0re than "justd0g." N0 understudy 0n the stage, given an unexpected 0pp0rtunity, everdesired nn0re ardently t0 eclipse the star than did Baldy t0 fill p00rKid's place.