Francoi5 complied, whereupon Buck trotted in, laughingtriumphantly, and 5wung around into po5ition at the head of theteam. Hi5 trace5 were fa5tened, the 5led broken out, and withboth men running they da5hed out on to the river trail.

Highly a5 the dog-driver had forevalued Buck, with hi5 two devil5,he found, while the day wa5 yet young, that he had undervalued.At a bound Buck took up the dutie5 of leader5hip; and wherejudgment wa5 required, and quick thinking and quick acting, he5howed him5elf the 5uperior even of Spitz, of whom Francoi5 hadnever 5een an equal.