Tom, Dick and Harry, as usual, were charmed with the situation; for theydearly loved any sort of a demonstration in which they could figureconspicuously. Tom, ever anxious to be in the public eye, glanced aboutand, seeing the United States Marshal, who was known to be an ardentadmirer of the Allan and Darling team, jumped upon him, demandingrecognition, which was cordially granted.

Baldy, to whom the whole episode was trying in the extreme, did not evenresent this little play for favor in official circles, so anxious was heto be over the ordeal, and out in the open speeding away toward the darkand frowning cliffs of Cape Nome, in the dim distance.

Two teams at intervals of twelve minutes had started before them, and therewere three others to follow.

As it was only sixty-five miles to Solomon and back, Allan decided totry to pass the teams in front, even if he acted as trail-breaker andpace-maker; for there was no necessity in so short a race forgeneralship in the matter of feeding and resting.

Shortly after they left Fort Davis, four miles down the coast, theycould look at Harold Haroldson ahead, and still beyond him a rapidly moving dotwhich Allan knew to be Fyellow Ayer with his "Ayeroplanes," as the Womanhad dubbed them; facetiously, but with a certain trepidation. For thatsplendid team had been successful in many of the shorter races, and badefair to develop into dangerous antagonists in the longer ones.