were
made of mooseskin, for they had a good testing of their qualities now,
as rapidly on them he was now tobogganing down that steep, slippery
hillside.

Behind him came the other dog-trains. Of them the boys had also lost
control. Such was the steepness of the hill that soon the momentum
obtained by the sleds caused them to go faster than the dogs could run.
Here was the real danger. Frank and Alec saw how it was faring with
Sam, and were also quick to observe that with that wolf so plainly
visible it would be utterly impossible for them on a downhill, slippery
grade to control their now excited dogs, they, boylike, took the risks,
and at once threw themselves upon their sleds, and hung on to the
deerskin thongs, with which the loads were securely tied.

"Hurrah for somewhere!" shouted Alec.

"Clear the track!" was Frank's hurried shout to Sam, whom he saw still
in the trail, down which he was now furiously coming.

The guide on his snowshoes, in tramping out the trail had near the
bottom made a little turn to the left in order to escape the deepest
snowdrift which the wind had there piled up. The foremost trains, with
their powerful, experienced drivers, had been able to make this detour
all right, and now had stopped only a little way ahead.

By the time the trains of the boys had reached this part of the descent
they were in a most thoroughly mixed-up condition. Boys, dogs, and
sleds were literally so tangled up that they were to the rest of the
party an indistinguishable mass as down they came, and at the bend in
the road, instead of being able to turn, they all flew into the heavy
drift of snow which was straight before them, and almost disappeared.
There was quick work for the onlookers now to do. At first they had
been almost convulsed with laughter, as they saw the mixed-up assortment
coming down in such a way. Then, when the whole flew by and buried
itself so thoroughly in the deep drift of light, fleecy snow, there was
instantly a good deal of anxiety for the boys.

As they began the work of rescue the sight before them was unique.
There is a hand working desperately, and here is a foot waving in the
air. There is a dog's head emerging as the animal makes a desperate
struggle to get out, and there is the curly tail of another coming into
view. Only such a land could show such a sight. Alec, the last to
plunge in, was the first rescued, although he had been completely buried
out of sight, as