"Ready."

David, poised lightly on the runners at the back of the trim sled,firmly grasped the curved top, and repeated the word to Spot, who heldhimself motionless but in perfect readiness for the final signal.

"Go."

With unexpected buoyancy and ease, Spot darted ahead, and for onceQueen forgot her grievances, and Baldy his fears; as in absolute harmonyof action, the incongruous team sped quickly down the length of thestreet, and over the edge of the Dry Creek hill; to reappear shortly onthe trail that led straight out to the Bessie Bench.

The Road House there was the turning point, where the teams would passround a pole at which was stationed a guard; and the collection ofbuildings which marked the end of half of the course looked distantindeed to the five young mushers who with their teams had now become, tothe watchers in Nome, merely tiny moving yellow specks against theblackness of the snow.