Ch5-Straight Ahead!

CHAPTER FIVE Straight Ahead! Moonlight cast a silvery glow over the icebound sea. The huskies' heavy breathing made a cloud over the team as it glided along the coast. The only other sounds in the darkness were the jingling bells of the lead dogs, the creaking of the sled basket, and the swish of the smooth wooden runners over the snow. As the dogs did their job, Jack magically knew how to do his: He knew how to "pedal" the sled by pushing the ground with his right foot while keeping his left on the runner. He knew how to

push in the perfect rhythm to keep the team from running too fast, so they wouldn't pant and hurt their lungs in the freezing air. He knew how to balance his weight and bend his legs to absorb the shock of bumps on the trail. He knew how to keep all the lines tight and straight, so none of the dogs would get tangled in them. Jack knew all the musher commands, too. When the team came to a snowdrift, he shouted, "Gee!" to make the wheel dogs curve to the right. When the team came to another drift, he shouted, "Haw!" to make the wheel dogs curve to the left. When it was time to straighten out the towline again, Jack shouted, "Straight ahead!" Every time the dogs did what Jack commanded, he said, "Good dogs!" But he hardly said more. He knew the fewer words, the better. The dogs depended on clear commands. Riding in the sled basket, Annie was silent, too, though several times Jack heard her gasp and say, "Wow!"

"Wow!" is right, Jack thought. The windless Alaskan night was beautiful. Maybe the forecast was wrong. Maybe their ride would just be a thrilling race to save lives. Mile after mile, the huskies ran along the wellworn trail. When the dogs raced down an incline, Jack dragged his heel to keep them from going too fast. When they labored up an incline, he lightened their load by hopping off and running beside the sled, holding on to one of the handles to keep it steady. When the trail was flat again, he jumped back on the runners.

"Good driving!" Annie called. Jack smiled. He loved being a champion musher. He loved knowing exactly what to do and when to do it. But he especially loved the easy connection he felt with the huskies. Sometimes he even felt like a running dog himself as he pedaled in rhythm to their pace. Lost in his thoughts, Jack failed to notice a change in the weather, until he heard Annie call out, "The storm's starting!"

Jack realized it had gotten colder and darker. Clouds covered the moon. The wind was blowing, and snow was falling. Snowflakes began to freeze on the lenses of Jack's glasses. Soon he couldn't see well enough to give commands to the dogs. Flying blindly down the trail, he tried to wipe his glasses with a fur mitten, but that only made it worse. As the huskies headed into a sharp curve, Jack lost his balance. He slipped off the runners and tumbled into the snow. The huskies came to a halt and started barking. "What happened?" Annie shouted. "My glasses got messed up," Jack said, picking himself up. "I couldn't see anything." "Don't worry, that happens," said Annie. "I guess I was too sure of myself," said Jack. "Even champion mushers have problems if they can't see," said Annie. "Let's switch places for a while. I'd love to drive." "Sure, thanks!" said Jack. He climbed into the basket and sat on the boards, while Annie took her

position on the runners. "Line out!" Annie commanded the dogs. The team straightened out the lines. "Good dogs!" Annie shouted. "Hike! Straight ahead!" The huskies started running again. As they pulled the sled through the swirling snow, Jack took off a mitten and scraped his glasses with his bare fingers. When his skin started burning with pain from the cold and wind, he quickly put the mitten back on. Annie kept a steady hand and a steady pace as she drove the eight huskies through the snowstorm. The wind blew harder, but she shifted her weight to keep the swaying sled from tipping over. She never let the towline go slack and get tangled with the other lines. Every time she yelled "Gee" or "Haw," Jack leaned to the right or left to help the sled around the curves. When the dogs started up a slope, Jack knew he should lighten their load. "I'll get off!" he called to Annie.