nary had been long
discussing the matter, but had as yet come to no decision as to the
different games, in which the white boys might, if they so desired,
compete with the Indian lads.

Alec, of course, wanted to enter for the dog race and the skating.
Frank wanted to try his skill with the snowshoes, but Sam gravely shook
his head and said he feared he would be lonesome ere the race ended.

"Well, what will you enter for?" said Frank, as he turned to Sam after
this sally, which had set everybody laughing.

"Indeed I don't know, unless it should be tobogganing," he replied.

This also caused a good deal of amusement, as Sam's efforts in this line
thus far had not been much of a success. He had caused a good deal of
fun, and some excitement, by the extraordinary way in which his toboggan
had several times shot out of the regular route and gone off on some
erratic lines, perfectly oblivious to the interests of life and limb.
He had one strong characteristic: he would hang on no matter which way
or to what place his toboggan, under his erratic steering, flew with
him. Once, in the middle of a hill, it shot off at a tangent and ran
over an Indian woman. So unexpected was the attack, so deep was the
drift into which she was hurled, and so rapidly did the flying toboggan
get out of sight, that the poor, superstitious old woman ever after
declared that it could have been no other than the Muche Manetoo, the
Evil One, that struck her.

As a couple of weeks would elapse ere the day for the examinations and
sports would arrive, the matter was left in abeyance, as to the sports
in which the boys should enter. A cordial acceptance of the invitation
was of course intimated.

In talking the matter over afterward it was decided that only in one
race or sport should each of the white boys enter. The number was
limited as the Indian boys were numerous, and it might perhaps cause
jealousies. So it was finally decided that Alec should try with his
dogs in the four-dog race, Frank should be a competitor in the skating
match, and Sam, with Spitfire, should contend in the one-dog race, or
else enter in the skating backward contest.

From knowing the skill of the Indian boys in everything else, Mr Ross
felt that in these selected were their only chances of success. Of
course, it was felt that Alec should have been in the skating contest,
but as it was essential that each owner should drive his own dogs, and
Alec had such confid