The Woman was visibly relieved at the turn affairs had taken; for she had a purely feminine dread of dog fights, and had frequently stopped some that would have been of most thrilling interest in deciding certain important questions.

In an undertone the boys spoke of the vagaries of the gentler sex, and frankly admitted “they were sure hard t’ understand,” while the Woman tried unsuccessfully to make Baldy carry a small package.

“Do you think she’ll ever learn,” asked George rather hopelessly, “that a sled dog’s got no use for little stunts like that?  His mind’s got t’ be on bigger things.”

“Here we are,” called Dan, as they stopped before a tiny cabin almost snowed in, with a deep cut leading up to the front door.

A thin, pale-faced woman, with a pleasant manner, answered the knock.

“Mrs. Edwards, we’ve come to surprise Ben.  May we see him?”

Ben’s mother ushered them all, Baldy included, into a room plainly furnished, but neat and home-like.

“This must be Ben’s day for surprises, for this morning Mr. Jones arrived from St. Michael.”

“Here’s Moose, that I’ve bin tellin’ you about so much,” and Ben, from a couch, nodded happily toward the large man who rose from a chair beside the boy, and shook hands cordially with them all.

“Yes, I come over by dog team.  I leased my ground up at Marshall, an’ thought I’d drop into Nome t’ see if my friend Ben here was still aimin’ t’ be a lawyer, an’ the very first thing I hear is that he’s gone inter dog racin’ with you an’ ‘Scotty’ Allan.  That is, that Baldy’s in the racin’ stable, which is pretty near the same thing.”

“Oh, I haven’t give up the idea of bein’ a lawyer, Moose.  She,” nodding toward the Woman, “talks to me about it all the time; and ‘Scotty’s’ goin’ t’ speak t’ Mr. Fink the very next time they meet.  ‘Scotty’ says he thinks Mr. Fink’ll listen, ’cause he was so interested in Baldy after the boys’ race, an’ asked all about him.  He said,” in a tone in which triumph was plainly noticeable, “that he didn’t know when he’d seen a dog with legs an’ a chest like Baldy.”

“I know a good dog is about the best introduction you can have to Mr. Fink; but if for any reason that fails, I’ll have a talk with Mr. Daly and tell him that you want to be another Lincoln, as nearly as possible, and that will appeal to him,” confidently remarked the Woman.

“You got the right system in this here case,” chuckled Moose Jones.  “Ef you was t’ tell one o’ them lawyers that you jest couldn’t git the other one interested in the boy, it’s a dead cinch he’d git inter one office or t’other; an’ it don’t make much difference which.  They’re both mighty smart men, even ef they don’t go at things the same way.  Well, anyway, Ben, I’m glad I kin depend on retainin’ you when my claims begin t’ show up rich, as I kinda think some of ’em’s bound t’ do, one place or another.  On my way back t’ Nome, I stopped at them new diggin’s at Dime Creek, an’ staked some ground; an’ it’s a likely lookin’ country, I kin tell you.”