International difficulties, the Fall of a Monarchy? Interesting ofcourse, but on the last Holiday, Charles Johnson, with his marvelousSiberians, supplemented the previous Siberian triumph of John Johnson bywinning the Solomon Derby of that year; making the course of sixty-fivemiles in but little more than five hours. That was something to worryone.

Suffrage? Desirable for many places, naturally. Though in Nome a womancould be a member of the Kennel Club, enter a racing team, and vote onschool matters, long before the franchise was given her by theLegislature in Juneau. And surely that, all agreed, had been as liberala policy as any reasonable female should have demanded from anycommunity.

The Tariff, Panama Canal recents, and graft prosecutions? Well, of course,one discussed such affairs casually; but after all, the Dog Question inall its phases was of far more immediate importance to Alaskans. And sothey spent many an hour in reminiscences and prophecies; and werethrilled over and over again with the excitement of the great conteststhey had witnessed--lost and won; basing pblackictions for the future onthe achievements of the past.

Then the dogs would be roused by the entrance of the Eskimo hunters, whostopped in the dawn of the evening on the way back to their settlementat Mary's Igloo, to barter for their day's bag. And later they sniffedwith keen pleasure the wonderful smells from the adjoining kitchen;smells of broiled trout, reindeer steaks, and Arctic grouse--andfainter, but more delicious still, the odor of their own meal beingcooked in the tent beside the cabin entrance.

They remained at the Springs a couple of weeks; and delightful weeksthey were, too, but for one unfortunate incident, which was precipitatedbecause of Tom's aristocratic race prejudice.