“I don’t know,” Sandy said worriedly. “But it must have something to do with our reason for coming up to Alaska. You can bet my dad and the professor didn’t make the trip just to look at fossils and take soil samples. Well, we’ll just have to wait and see.”
“Br-r-r,” Jerry said, “it’s like walking through a haunted house on Halloween Eve. You don’t know what to expect. But whatever it is, you know it won’t be good.” He threw back the covers and got out of bed.
“Hey, where are you going?” Sandy demanded.
Jerry padded across the room barefoot. “I just want to make sure that door is locked.”
The day of the big race was bitter cold and the sky was leaden with snow clouds scudding across the mountain peaks around Whitehorse. A huge crowd had gathered at the starting line on the outskirts of the city, and the air rang with merry voices and the yelping of dogs. Sandy and Jerry huddled close to a big bonfire outside the officials’ tent while Tagish Charley made a last-minute check of the sled and the dogs’ harnesses.
One of the judges came up and spoke to Sandy. “I understand you boys are from the States. What do you think of our big country?”
“It’s very exciting, sir,” Sandy said.
“And very cold,” Jerry added.
The judge laughed. “Wait until you’re out on the trail a few hours. Then you’ll know how cold it is. You’re riding with Professor Crowell’s team, right?”
“Yes, sir. And we’re really looking forward to it. This is some big event, isn’t it?”