affection for their old master, who was kind and gentle to all the
animals in his possession. This kindness was well repaid by the
intelligent obedience they all gave him. Eagerly the boys scanned the
young dogs, for from among them were to be selected the promised trains
which they were to call their own.

While the boys were discussing the dogs and indicating their
preferences, old Kinesasis had rekindled the fire in the large wigwam,
in which he had passed the summer, and, aided by the other Indians of
the party, busied himself in preparing the dinner out of the supplies
which had been brought along. Never did a dinner seem to taste better
than did that one in that leather tent to those boys, who had so enjoyed
the exhilarating twenty-mile trip.

After Mr Ross, Frank, Sam, and Alec had dined. Kinesasis and the
Indian dog-drivers soon had a hearty dinner, and then, after the
inevitable pipes, the work of preparation for the return trip speedily
began. It was the desire of all to reach home before dark. To
accomplish this would be no easy matter, as there were so many untrained
dogs. At first it was decided to harness up a number of these, as
harness had been brought for the purpose, but after some consultation
with Kinesasis about the thin ice Mr Ross decided against it, thus
leaving the young dogs to follow. Only the old dogs were harnessed.
This added a couple more trains to the party. The sleds of these were
loaded down with the tent, nets, and other things which had made up
Kinesasis's outfit during the summer.

At length everything was loaded up, and the return trip began. There
was some trouble in getting a number of the younger dogs to take to the
ice and keep up with the trains; numbers would persist in turning round
and hurrying back.

"We cannot blame them," Sam said afterward, and his Irish oratory burst
forth as he described what had been their happy condition. "Just
think," he said, "on that beautiful island in the pleasant springtime
they were born. There they have had a happy, careless puppyhood life.
There they have spent the pleasant summer time with plenty to eat and
nothing to do. On the sandy beaches and over the smooth rocks they have
gamboled together, and in the warm, rippling waters they have splashed
and battled. Now the cold weather has suddenly come and the snow has
covered their favourite romping grounds, and even their great bathing
places are hard with slippery ice."