camps. Steele and Nero followed them. All around the camp there were shouts as the drivers sorted through their sled kit, while calling their dogs to them. Only three figures stood motionlessly on the edge of the hill. Koltav had remained fixed in his place staring at the horizon. With him were Lurth and one of Lurth's team members, a female dog called Athera.

Amid the hubbub, the three dogs looked at eachother and grinned.  

Whoever had said this would be easy

 

XVII

 

   'Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeharrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!' Roared Tamill, as he and Dingo pulled the sled after the others. Ahead of them, the sun had risen into stunning gold rays!

Tamill blinked at it and turned his eyes towards the horizon. A vast, empty wilderness lay in front of them. Tam glanced over his shoulder, to where they had crossed. The snow was falling in light, feathery formations. A white blanket had covered their tracks. Mr Rig was at the stern, looking grim but determind. Miles and miles away, slept their opponents. Tamill grinned to himself. They had lost them. Lurth, Sulski, Maximous, Steele, Nero, and Koltav. Everyone. The race was theirs! Rig's plan had worked. Perhaps nothing could withstand them. No doubt that Maximous and Sulski will try hard to pursue them. They would probably be awake by now. It was almost nearly noon.

He turned his eyes from the truth and gazed towards what lay in front of them. Cold mountains, specked with green tall trees, with a river running through them.

Tamill felt his heart race with excitement.

Finally. The race was theirs!
 

                                                             ****   Before noon they halted for rest and food. In a open area in a small wood. Rig Ground, stiffly got off his sled and unclipped the dogs. Giving each dog a rub down to relax the muscles. Whist Rig prepared their meal, the dogs wandered around for a bit.

The water flowed freely down the Niukluk River. Jenna and her sons lapped it, greedily.
   'We should bring your Dad and the others here.' Jenna said,'We all deserve a good long drink.'

   'I'll go back and get them.' Kodiak insisted, as he ran up the bank towards the camp, leaving Tamill and Jenna alone.

   'Tammie,' his mother said. 'look over there. What is it?'

   'It's a boat - house, mom.' Tamill said aloud. Sure enough, settled in a shady corner were a couple of small, sturdy canoes, with long pine paddles sticking out. No sign or scent of humans.    'It's alright,' he said.' looks safe.'        'I wonder what's it for?' his mother said.      'Fishing,' Tamill grinned,' and that's just what I'm going to do.' With that, Tamill gave one bound and dived into the river, with a great splash!      'Tammy, be careful. Whoaaa!' Jenna screamed as a jet of water rained over her. 'Tam, stop that. STOP! STOP!' she shrieked, as he repeated the prank until she backed away from the riverbank. Tamill laughed. He was on his back, floating his hind legs beating the water.

Then he took a deep breath and turned himself. Water blinded his vision. Bubbles floated up, covering his eyes. But Tam felt no panic. He had learnt how to swim since he was a pup and loved it. But his joy turned to shock when finally his eyes grew used to the damp and the light fell in the water, he saw a empty world dotted with stone and sharp pebbles. No fish was in sight. Angry, he pulled himself out of that world, into the sunlight and the air. Shaking of the water from his eyes he spotted his mother sitting on the bank watching him.

   'There's nothing down there.'he said to her.

   'That's becuase your doing the wrong way.' a voice said. It wasn't his mother. It was Balto. With him were Kodi the others. To Tamill's surprise Mr Ground was also with them. How did Kodi cox Rig to join them? Who will guard their camp?

   'Let me guess,' Balto mused, as he reached Jenna side.'he dived in and found no fish.'

   'That's why nobody lives here.'Tamill cried, paddling ing towards the bank.

   'Wrong,' Balto said, as Tamill joined them.' We spotted them swimming away downriver. You scared them off.' he looked at him, grimly. Tamill sighed in frustration. He knew he had made a mistake but he loathed it when his father lectured him in front of everyone. He felt embarressd. Balto shook his head and shrugged 'Never mind, we will just have to go after them.'

                                                                              ***


   'Did you catch anything?' Kodi asked. Tamill glanced over the bank, to where his brother and the others stood, waiting.

   'Nop.' Balto replied, still staring at the waters. He gave a deep sigh.

All three were on the boat. Tamill, his father and Rig. The river was wide and swift, but the water was calm. Rig held out a long line with bait tied to the end of it, while the other end he held with a skillful hand. In order to control the line (and catch) he wore no gloves. So far they hadn't caught anything.
Tamill couldn't believe that any fish would be swimming here, unnoticed. The river was very calm and almost see through. Like a clouded stain - glass window.   

   'Anything yet?'

   'Not yet,' growled Tamill,' Be patient.'

 There came a low groan.

   'Is there no room in the boat.' asked Saba

   'We might as well get a drink of water and starve.' Dingo sniffed.      'That would help a lot.' Tamill joked,

   'Oh well.' Jenna said, airily with a dazzling smile. She glanced at the others, still standing on the riverside.'Come on, pups.'
 
  'Hay, stop that. You'll scare the fish-'     SPLASH!     Unheeded by his threats, his mother, brothers and sisters were in the water.     'Hay, stop!' Tam shouted, 'What do you think your doing.'     'Following your old example, bro.' laughed Kodiak.     'Get out of that water, at once!'

  'Oh, you sound just like Ragnel.' scoffed Chilla.

Kodi made an impersonation of Ragnel,

   'How vulgar. Take no notice, Madam Chilla.'  

The others burst out laughing. 

Tamill groaned,
  'Perfect, that's just perfect. Now we'll never collect any fish. We're wasting our time.'

  'Now Tamill, 'Balto said sternly,'Don't you start fidgiting too. I've already had a talk with Dingo. But since he's not the only one, perhaps we better mobilize everyone and we can have a family talk. A long-family-talk.'
  
  'Okay, okay okay,'the young dog, hastily. 'Your the Boss, Dad. I'll just chill.'

Balto sniffed and then turned to stare back into the water, in silance. Mr Ground (seeing that the dogs were restless) was packing away the net he had made, when something far up river, caught his eye.

   'Balto,' he whispered,'Tam. Look.'

Both Tamill and Balto followed his gaze. Nothing was moving in their spot. The fish were gone. But something was blocking the flow of the river. A large pine tree, fallan due to age, was choking the river. Tamill thought that it must of been a huge giant, for as he scanned closer, he spotted something splashing. It was a fish. Followed by another fish and another. The catch were trapped. They trying to spring over the fallen pine, to get to the other side.

                                                              ***

   'Well, well, well. Fishing worked out better then I thought.' murmured Tamill. They were walking back to the camp. Their catch had been a success. They had plenty of fresh fish for all of them. Rig ment to cook the lucky catch and save their supplise for later.

  'OH No!'

  'What is it, Kodiak?' Tam asked, turning to his brother.
Kodiak didn't reply, instead he raced ahead of them towards the direction of the camp. Tamill watched him, puzzled. What had eaten him? Did anything happen back at the river. As he thought, the wiff of fish struck his nose. He wriggled his nose at the strong smell, then stopped in amazement. There was new scent hanging in the air. Ignoring the fish, Tam tried to name it, but couldn't. But he knew one thing. Whatever it was, must be in... 

  'The camp.' He cried in terror, breaking into a run.' The camp. Mum,

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