Robert Leckie

“ Even the dogs were slowed down. The snow, mixed with the loose surface fluff of previous falls, piled up quickly in drifts. As it dragged at his boots more and more, Charley began to mutter angrily to himself in Indian.
“I don’t like it, Sandy,” Jerry said uneasily. “We’re never going to make that check point before dark.”
“At this rate we’ll never make it at all,” Sandy retorted. “Listen, Jerry, what do you say we get out and trot along with Charley? It’s bad enough pulling the sled by itself without our weight too.” ”

“ Sandy whispered to Jerry. “They have very poor eyesight. And we’re upwind of him so he can’t smell us.”
But the horses caught the scent of the bear and began to whinny and stamp their hoofs in terror. The big Kodiak’s ears went up and he lifted his head, probing the air with his sensitive snout. Slowly he reared up on his hind legs.
Jerry couldn’t restrain a gasp of astonishment and wonder. “Wow! Will you look at the size of him! He must be ten feet tall if he’s an inch.”
When the bear stood erect, Sandy could see a red, matted spot on his left shoulder. “Someone shot him all right,” he said. ”

“ Sandy wanted to know.
Dr. Steele shrugged. “They have the most efficient espionage system in the world. That we have to give them credit for.”
Sandy pursed his lips solemnly. “But they still don’t know what the element is?”
“Or how it’s employed in the manufacture of the rocket fuel,” Professor Crowell declared emphatically. “I’m the only one who can tell them that. And I’ll die first.”
“Watch it,” Jerry cautioned. “I think I hear them coming back.”
The sound of approaching footsteps reverberated hollowly through the mine. Strak appeared in the doorway alone. ”

“ Sandy focused his bleary eyes across the ravine. The Kodiak was just a big mound of motionless fur sprawled out on the ground.
“Come on!” Jerry pulled at Sandy’s arm. “Let’s hurry over there so we can make like big-game hunters when those other guys show up.” Using his rifle as a staff, he started down the slope into the ravine.
Sandy caught up to him at the bottom and grabbed the rifle away from him. “Don’t ever do anything like that again!” he snapped. “You dope! You might have blown your head off—or at least your hand. This is a loaded gun. You’ve got to have respect for it. ”

“ The dogs, in harness, were seated on their haunches or huddled low in drifts to escape the force of the wind. But Charley was nowhere to be seen.
Jerry sagged against the back of the sled. “Oh my gosh! What happened to him?”
“He must have doubled back to look for us and we didn’t see him in the storm.” Night had deepened the blinding downfall even more.
There was a tremor in Jerry’s voice. “You don’t think the wolves got him, Sandy?”
“No, they rarely attack a man. Especially with the dogs here. Besides, Charley had a rifle.” He rummaged through the packs on the front of the sled. ”

“ Sandy said, glancing out of the cockpit window. Below the plane, twin mountain peaks reached up through the wispy clouds. Cupped in the valley between them lay a gigantic glacier whose front was a solid wall of ice ten miles across and as high as a fifteen-story building.
“That’s why there are plenty of jobs for bush pilots,” Parker explained. “We’re like taxi drivers back in the States. To get around in the big land you have to take giant steps. A quick trip to the city may mean a hop of a hundred miles or more. ”

“ The car shuddered and began to roll forward slowly. There was the nerve-shattering screech of metal against metal as the overhead rollers and the main cable protested violently at being used so rudely after twenty-one years of inactivity. Snow, rust and metal shavings cascaded down on the car’s occupants as it picked up momentum.
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The boys let go with a tremendous cheer and Professor Crowell and Dr. Steele shook hands solemnly. Sandy glanced behind them at the rapidly diminishing tunnel entrance, but as yet there was no sign of Kruger and the other two enemy agents. ”

“ Jerry said to Sandy. “What’s he so excited about? That’s the whole idea, isn’t it, to shoot the bear?”
“Sure, but once you wound an animal, it’s your obligation to finish him off. That’s the first commandment of hunting. First of all, it’s cruel to let an animal suffer. And when you’re dealing with big game, it’s downright dangerous. A pain-crazed bear, for instance, can be a menace to anything that comes anywhere near him.”
“That’s right,” Chris Hanson agreed. ”

“ Particularly in winter, travelers had to be prepared for emergencies.
Both vehicles were equipped with heavy-duty tire chains on all wheels, plus oversized snow tires, and they rode smoothly and firmly across the hard-packed snow surface of the highway.
As the afternoon deepened into an early dusk, the temperature plummeted, and the chill penetrated the cab of the truck, even though the heater was going full blast. Sandy doubled up his hands into fists inside his mittens and wriggled his feet inside his fur-lined boots to stimulate his circulation. ”

“ A little seed of fear began to grow inside of Sandy. “No, he said the third. Professor Crowell told Russ he wanted to fly to Juneau today, too. I can’t understand it, Jerry. If Dad didn’t expect to be here when we got back from Kodiak, he would have left word for us. Anyway, they couldn’t have been planning to make any overnight trips. They didn’t take razors, toothbrushes or anything; my dad shaves every morning even when he’s on a fishing trip miles from civilization. I don’t like it, Jerry.” ”

“ The Indian walked over to the fireplace and shook himself like a great dog. Carefully he leaned the rifle against the wall and shrugged out of his parka. “I drink coffee in kitchen with Frenchy when man run in and say someone break into this cabin. I take rifle and follow him.”
“In this storm!” Sandy said. “You could have gotten lost and frozen to death.”
Charley grunted and tapped a finger to his temple. “Indian have thing up here like pigeon. Always find way home. Bad man have sled and dogs waiting in trees. No use follow him. If snow stop in morning, maybe I look around some more.” ”

“ Tagish Charley looked up from his plate solemnly. “Kodiak bear plenty bad killer. Maybe he take your skin back to his mamma.”
Everyone except Charley laughed.
The next morning they boarded the big Norseman plane and headed northwest up the coast for Valdez. As they flew over the glacier-ribbed mountains, the boys were awed by the wild beauty of the country beneath them.
“It’s so primitive,” Sandy remarked. “I don’t think man will ever tame it.”
“Yes, he will,” Dr. Steele said. “As surely as he tamed the American West. We just didn’t pay much attention to it until after World War Two.” ”

“ Professor Crowell laughed. “Before you boys do anything like that, you had better see how you stand up to the rigors of the trail during the big race to Skagway.”
“When do we start?” Jerry asked.
“The day after tomorrow.”
Charley gulped down a small roll with one bite. “Tomorrow we give huskies plenty exercise. Not much to eat.”
Sandy frowned. “You’re going to starve them before the race? Won’t it weaken them?”
Charley grunted. “No starve. Huskies can go week without food. They little hungry, they run faster and fight harder.” ”

“ Charley said matter-of-factly. “Best team, best lead dog.” He patted Titan’s head. “Black Titan pull sled all alone if he have to.”
“Is the professor going to drive himself, Charley?” Jerry inquired curiously.
The Indian shrugged his shoulders. “Better he not drive in race. Professor fine dog driver, but safer if he not drive this race. On trail easy for bad men to get him. Better for Charley to drive team.”
“Charley,” Sandy asked worriedly, “do you have any idea why the bad men are after Professor Crowell? Why would anyone want to harm a nice man like him?” ”

“ An instant later a plane appeared through the windshield zooming down the road toward the station wagon.
“Yipes!” Jerry exclaimed. “What does he think he’s doing?”
“The crazy fool!” Sandy said angrily. “He could have scared us off the highway. Look at him! He can’t be more than fifty feet off the ground.” ”

“ They had powerful wolflike muzzles, sharp ears and slanting eyes.
Tagish Charley opened the gate and motioned the boys to follow him into the pen. The dogs barked and leaped around the Indian, nipping his trousers and mittens playfully. They ignored the boys. There was one exception. Standing off to one side was a big, solid-black husky with a white mask across his eyes and upper muzzle. By far the largest dog of the lot—Sandy estimated his weight to be at least 100 pounds—he seemed to regard the antics of his fellows with regal aloofness. ”

“ The dogs milled about excitedly as Charley harnessed them to the sled. They were hitched up in staggered formation, one dog’s head abreast of the haunches of the dog in front of him. Black Titan led the pack, and the driving reins were attached only to his harness.
“Lead dog, he have to be very smart,” Charley told them, ruffling up the thick fur collar around Titan’s throat. “He boss of team. Not driver. Other dogs do bad job, he scold them. Sometimes he have to fight a bad dog who make trouble.”
“Do you think Professor Crowell’s team has a chance to win the race from Whitehorse to Skagway?” ”

“ Charley declared without emotion. “Bad man hit him on head with club.”
“Bad man! When?” the boys exclaimed in a chorus.
“Five, six nights back. Titan hear prowler. Jump over fence. Man open window, climb into professor’s room, choke professor. Titan jump through window, save him.”
“What happened to the burglar? Did they catch him?” Sandy asked excitedly.
“No. He club Titan, dive through window into snow. Get away with dog team.”
“Gee,” Jerry said. “Even up here they got characters like that. Only instead of a getaway car, they use dog sleds.” ”

“ Sandy snapped. “Now get up and help me rig up a lean-to.”
“A lean-to?” Jerry said wonderingly. “What kind of a lean-to?”
“The kind Charley says the Eskimos build on the trail. They fasten a big hide to the side of the sled that’s out of the wind and peg the other side down to the ice, or weight it down. The snow piles up against the far side of the sled, forming a solid windbreak, and you have yourself a cozy little tent.” ”

“ On either side of the table sat a strange man with a rifle across his knees. Across the table, seated all in a row on a bench, their hands and feet tied, were Dr. Steele, Professor Crowell, Lou Mayer and Tagish Charley.
“Dad!” Sandy burst out. “Am I glad to see you! Are you okay?”
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Dr. Steele managed a strained smile. “I’m all right, Son. We all are. But I can’t say I’m glad to see you boys.” He turned to one of the men with the rifles. “Did you have to drag them into it, Strak? They’re only boys. They don’t even know what this is all about.” ”

“ Anger tightened Charley’s features. “Professor got something they want very bad. They kill him if they have to.”
“But what do they want? What is it the professor has that’s so valuable to them? Money? Jewels?”
Charley shook his head. “Professor no have money or jewels. Maybe something he have in here.” He tapped his finger against his forehead wisely.
Sandy looked at Jerry. “You know, he could have something there. I think I’m going to have a man-to-man talk with my dad first chance I get.” ”

“ Black Titan, like the good lead dog he was, watched his team closely, and whenever one of them became too frisky and pugnacious, he would bark a sharp command. Immediately, the offender would drop his ears and quiet down.
“They act almost human,” Sandy said.
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“I’ll say,” Jerry agreed. “That Titan reminds me of Mr. Hall, my math teacher. No horseplay when he’s around.”
Charley helped the boys arrange themselves in the sled, Sandy in back, with Jerry in front of him, sitting between his legs. “Just like on a toboggan,” Sandy observed. ”

“ While the geologists went over the last-minute details of their trip in the professor’s study, Charley took the boys out to the kennel at one side of the barn. A dozen husky dogs were frolicking in the snow inside a wire enclosure. As soon as they saw Charley they all rushed over to the gate and piled up in a seething mass of yelping, snarling, twisting fur, leaping up against the chain link fence and falling back on top of each other. It was a wild melee.
“Wow!” Jerry exclaimed. “They look as if they’d eat you alive.”
The Indian grunted. “No hurt. They want to play.” ”

“ Professor Crowell objected. “Your American museums and universities contain some of the most fascinating specimens of prehistoric beasts that I’ve ever seen. The last time I visited the American Museum of Natural History in New York I saw the leg of a baby mammoth that was completely intact. It had been preserved for centuries in a glacier, and the museum kept it in a deep freeze.”
“The professor’s right, Jerry,” Sandy admitted. “The trouble with so many of the kids we know is that they’re too lazy to use their eyes and their ears—and their legs.” ”

“ Jerry asked curiously. “We bought it from the Indians for twenty-four dollars, didn’t we?”
Sandy and the corporal laughed. “That was Manhattan Island, you dope!” Sandy said. “We bought Alaska from the Russians for about $7,000,000.”
“It’s twice as big as Texas,” the corporal told them, “but the population is only a little over 200,000. And most of these people have only been there since the end of World War Two.”
“I guess we never would have realized just how valuable Alaska is if the Japanese hadn’t tried to attack us across the Aleutian Islands,” Sandy said. ”