Free The Pole by Eric Walters Page B

sledges—the first komatiks—to start setting things up.The Captain and all the rest of the crew were still onboard.
    As I stood there, I saw a team pulling a komatik coming back toward us. As it got closer, the barking of the dogs got the rest of our dogs excited and they joined in. It sounded as if they were cheering them on. I wondered who was driving the team. It would be best if it was the Commander. If it was, I could ask him if I could go along, drive in with a team and go to land. I wanted land under my feet. Of course, that was only part of it. I was just plain curious, and I wanted to know where they were making camp and what it looked like.
    â€œYa cold, Danny?”
    I turned around. It was the Captain.
    â€œA little, I guess, sir.”
    â€œGonna get a whole lot colder before this is over. Remember, this is summer.”
    I laughed. “Not like any summer I’ve seen before.”
    â€œSo what are ya doin’ down ’ere?” he asked.
    â€œJust watchin’.”
    â€œYa can learn a lot, just by lookin’.You’re a curious sort of lad,” he said. “Just remember, curiosity killed the cat.”
    â€œI’ll be careful, sir. Just lookin’, that’s all.”
    â€œDo ya want ta do more than just look?” Captain Bartlett asked.
    I didn’t know what he meant.Was he was trying to trick me or—
    â€œI’m goin’ to shore. Do ya want to come along?” he asked.
    â€œCould I?”
    â€œWouldn’t ask if I didn’t mean it.” He paused. “Besides, probably the best way to keep ya safe is to keep one eye on ya. Let me pick out the dogs and—”
    â€œCould I pick the dogs, sir?” I asked.
    â€œYou?”
    â€œI’ve spent a lot of time with them, you know, cleanin’ up and such,” I explained. “I know ’em real well.”
    â€œKnowin’ ’em an’ knowin’ which ones will work as a team are two different things,” Captain Bartlett said. “But … go ahead, give it a whirl.”

CHAPTER NINE
    I’D PICKED OUT THE DOGS , one by one. The Captain hooked up the first two and then showed me how to hook the third up to the line.With the fourth dog I did it myself. He checked the lead, making sure I’d tied it the way he’d shown me. He didn’t say anything, but then he didn’t check the rest after that, so I must have done it right.
    The dogs were being tied together in a sort of fan pattern, two dogs together, each pair on a separate lead, angling away from the sledge.That was different from what I’d expected or seen back at Etah.
    â€œHow come they’re not being tied together in a straight line?” I asked Captain Bartlett.
    â€œYou questionin’ how I’m doin’ things?” he asked.
    â€œNo, sir!” I exclaimed, practically saluting him.
    He smiled, and I realized he was just joking with me again.
    â€œOn solid land you tie them straight, best way to get the most power pulling forward,” he said. “Can’tdo that on the ice. If the lead dog broke through the ice the whole team would go through into the water, maybe drown the lot, maybe even take the sledge and driver with them.”
    A chill went up my spine and I suddenly didn’t feel so safe standing on the ice.
    â€œBy tyin’ ’em this way, in a fan pattern, only a couple might go in and the rest would stay on top, pullin’ the stragglers out. Make sense?” he asked.
    â€œYes, sir.” I hesitated before asking the next question, but I wanted to know. “Is there any danger of us fallin’ in?”
    â€œAlways a danger.”
    That wasn’t the answer I’d been hoping for, and I started worrying that the ice under my feet wasn’t as thick as I’d thought.
    â€œYou just stay close to me, an’ if anythin’ bad happens I’ll take care of it. Ever fallen through ice