Ch4-Champion Mushers

CHAPTER FOUR Champion Mashers "Stay with me, boy!" Uncle Joe called after Oki. But the man's voice was lost in the excited barking of the huskies in the yard. "Excuse me, sir," Annie said. "What if we go with him?" "Annie—" said Jack, shaking his head.

The man turned and looked at Annie and Jack as if noticing them for the first time. "Who are you?" he said. "Jack and Annie," said Annie. "We're friends of Oki's, and—and—we're champion mushers." What? thought Jack. Oki's uncle scowled. "Champion mushers? How can that be? You are very young."

"We are young," said Annie. "But we have great skills. Right, Jack?" She quickly added in a whisper, "Gold dust." Oh, right, thought Jack. He nodded. "We heard that lives were in danger here," said Annie. "So we came from the United States to help." "Help how?" said Oki's uncle. "Take a team of sled dogs and help get the medicine here," said Annie. "Right, Jack?" Jack took a deep breath. He was a little nervous about losing their way and freezing to death, but he nodded again. "We really want to help you," Annie said to Oki's uncle. The man stared at them for a moment, his face lined with grief. "I don't know what to do," he said. "I lost my wife and my two children seven years ago in the flu epidemic. Nome lost more than a thousand people then. I fear it is about to happen again." Tears started down the man's craggy face.

Jack was stunned. More than a thousand people died? "That won't happen again," Jack vowed. "We'll do everything we can." "Thank you. But please leave my nephew here," said the man. "Do not let him go. Oki and his mother and sister are all I have." "Don't worry. We won't let him go," said Jack. "Take my team. They are good dogs," said Oki's uncle. "They have traveled the trail hundreds of times, delivering mail with me." "We promise we'll take good care of them," said Annie. "Thank you." The man bowed his head. "Thank you." Then he turned and hobbled with his crutch back into his room. Annie took a deep breath. "This is a good plan," she said to Jack. "Right?" "Right," he said. He hoped it was a good plan. He felt terrible for Oki and his uncle. "Gold dust?" said Annie.

Jack took off his mitten, reached into his pocket, and pulled out the tiny gold box. He pried open the lid and stared at the glittering dust inside. "It's so beautiful," breathed Annie. Jack poured a bit of the gold dust into the palm of his bare hand. "We wish to be champion dog mushers to save lives," he whispered. Then he tossed the dust into the air. The room filled with a sparkling gold light. The light gathered around Jack and Annie, then quickly faded away. Jack felt a rush of energy. "Wow!" said Annie, grinning. "I'm ready to hit the trail. Are you?" "Yep!" said Jack. "Sure am." He laughed. "Quick, before Oki leaves with the dogs," said Annie. She started for the door. "Wait," said Jack. "The magic works for twelve hours." He looked at a clock on the wall. It was eight-thirty. "We have to be back by eight-thirty tomorrow morning. No later." "Got it!" said Annie. Then the two of them hurried out of the shack into the freezing night.

The huskies were whining and leaping around the moonlit pen as Oki tried to buckle them into their harnesses. "Be still!" he commanded. "Be still!" "Wait, Oki!" said Jack. Wrestling with a dog, Oki looked up at Jack. "Annie and I will look for Gunnar Kaasen!" said Jack. "Your uncle wants us to take the team by ourselves." "By yourselves?" said Oki. "Yes!" said Annie. "You have to stay here. He can't risk losing you." "But how will you do this?" said Oki. "You don't know the dogs or the trail." "We have great skills," said Jack. "And we trust the dogs. Your uncle told us they've traveled the trail hundreds of times." "Yes…but—" said Oki. "Good! Then our job is just to help them do their job," said Annie. "And your job, Oki, is to stay with your uncle and be near your sister and mother," said Jack.