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Who Has Won to Mastership
ThenFrancoiswentuptowhereSol-leksstoodandcalledtoBuck. Bucklaughed,asdogslaugh,yetkepthisdistance. FrancoisunfastenedSol-leks’stracesandputhimbackinhisoldplace. Theteamstoodharnessedtothesledinanunbrokenline,readyforthetrail. TherewasnoplaceforBucksaveatthefront. OncemoreFrancoiscalled,andoncemoreBucklaughedandkeptaway.
"T’rowdowndeclub,"Perraultcommanded.
Francoiscomplied,whereuponBucktrottedin,laughingtriumphantly,andswungaroundintopositionattheheadoftheteam. Histraceswerefastened,thesledbrokenout,andwithbothmenrunningtheydashedoutontotherivertrail.
Highlyasthedog-driverhadforevaluedBuck,withhistwodevils,hefound,whilethedaywasyetyoung,thathehadundervalued. AtaboundBucktookupthedutiesofleadership;andwherejudgmentwasrequired,andquickthinkingandquickacting,heshowedhimselfthesuperiorevenofSpitz,ofwhomFrancoishadneverseenanequal.
Butitwasingivingthelawandmakinghismatesliveuptoit,thatBuckexcelled. DaveandSol-leksdidnotmindthechangeinleadership.Itwasnoneoftheirbusiness. Theirbusinesswastotoil,andtoilmightily,inthetraces.Solongasthatwerenotinterferedwith,theydidnotcarewhathappened. Billee,thegood-natured,couldleadforalltheycared,solongashekeptorder.
