her down. Like everyone else in Antarctica, he knew how to tie good, strong knots, and Stay felt him pull down hard on the ropes to make sure she was securely attached.
‘Don’t want you falling off,’ Baldy said, giving her a pat on the back. ‘OK, folks, she’s ready for photos.’
Everyone who’d come to wave goodbye started taking pictures. Stay heard a bark and saw that Windy was bringing the first husky down. He held Cocoa by her harness, keeping her front feet in the air so she could only walk on her back legs. Stay watched, fascinated, as Windy took Cocoa to the front of the sledge and clipped her to the tow rope.
‘There you go, girl,’ he said, and patted her. ‘Don’t worry, your puppies will be fine on station.’
Meanwhile Baldy had gone to get the next dog and he returned with Blackie, holding him up in the air by the harness too. As each dog was secured, the team barked and snarled furiously. One dog managed to pull away from Windy and started a loud fight with another member of the team. Baldy and Windy had to pull the dogs apart and Stay was shocked. Guide Dogs never fought with each other, but it looked like a regular occurrence among the huskies.
Blackie was at the front and Stay hoped he might not see her. But as Baldy brought the last dog out, Blackie turned his head and saw Stay sitting up on the sledge.
He froze. His hackles rose and his upper lip lifted in a snarl. Stay was too far away to hear what he said, butshe was sure it wasn’t friendly. The other dogs turned their heads and stared at her, then all started barking.
‘They don’t like you much, do they?’ Windy said. ‘I guess they can’t figure out if you’re real.’
I am real, Stay thought indignantly.
But the dogs hadn’t stopped barking and Stay could see Baldy was having trouble getting the last one harnessed. The huskies snapped at each other and turned in circles and he had to yell at them.
‘Are you ready?’ he called out to Windy. ‘I have to get the huskies running.’
Windy gave Baldy the thumbs-up. ‘Ready!’
‘Righteo, folks,’ Baldy called. ‘One of the final Mawson sledging trips is now departing. Stand clear. Windy, get behind me!’
Everyone laughed then, though Stay couldn’t understand why. She didn’t have time to think about it, as Baldy yelled, ‘Are you ready, dogs? Mush!’ and let go of the harnesses. The huskies sprang forwards, barking. The sledge lurched and they were off, passing a blur of waving hands and faces. Windy ran alongside the sledge and jumped onto the back, standing on the runners just behind where Stay was lashed. Baldy kept running alongside the dogs, calling out commands and struggling to keep up with them.
Once the huskies were moving, they seemed to forget about Stay. They spread out in a fan shape in front of the sledge, running at a steady pace. She saw how much they loved their work, throwing themselves hard against the harnesses, pulling the sledge across the snow as if they could run forever. They’re just like the Guide Dogs, she thought. Loyal and hard-working creatures. She wished they didn’t dislike her so much. Couldn’t they see they had lots in common with her?
After a while, Stay forgot about the huskies and started to notice the land around them. The wind rushing past her face was cold, but it was a clear sunny day and Stay could see for kilometres. They were heading inland, away from the station and up towards the plateau. She could see a big mountain range ahead of them. It looked quite close. Metal drums marked parts of their route so they could pass safely around the dangerous crevasses, which looked like big, dark blue cracks in the ice.
After the huskies had hauled the sledge for four hours, Stay realised that distances were deceptive in Antarctica. The faraway cliffs didn’t look any closer than when they’d started out. Baldy and Windy had swapped places so now Baldy rode on the back and Windy ran beside the team, and they’d
‘Don’t want you falling off,’ Baldy said, giving her a pat on the back. ‘OK, folks, she’s ready for photos.’
Everyone who’d come to wave goodbye started taking pictures. Stay heard a bark and saw that Windy was bringing the first husky down. He held Cocoa by her harness, keeping her front feet in the air so she could only walk on her back legs. Stay watched, fascinated, as Windy took Cocoa to the front of the sledge and clipped her to the tow rope.
‘There you go, girl,’ he said, and patted her. ‘Don’t worry, your puppies will be fine on station.’
Meanwhile Baldy had gone to get the next dog and he returned with Blackie, holding him up in the air by the harness too. As each dog was secured, the team barked and snarled furiously. One dog managed to pull away from Windy and started a loud fight with another member of the team. Baldy and Windy had to pull the dogs apart and Stay was shocked. Guide Dogs never fought with each other, but it looked like a regular occurrence among the huskies.
Blackie was at the front and Stay hoped he might not see her. But as Baldy brought the last dog out, Blackie turned his head and saw Stay sitting up on the sledge.
He froze. His hackles rose and his upper lip lifted in a snarl. Stay was too far away to hear what he said, butshe was sure it wasn’t friendly. The other dogs turned their heads and stared at her, then all started barking.
‘They don’t like you much, do they?’ Windy said. ‘I guess they can’t figure out if you’re real.’
I am real, Stay thought indignantly.
But the dogs hadn’t stopped barking and Stay could see Baldy was having trouble getting the last one harnessed. The huskies snapped at each other and turned in circles and he had to yell at them.
‘Are you ready?’ he called out to Windy. ‘I have to get the huskies running.’
Windy gave Baldy the thumbs-up. ‘Ready!’
‘Righteo, folks,’ Baldy called. ‘One of the final Mawson sledging trips is now departing. Stand clear. Windy, get behind me!’
Everyone laughed then, though Stay couldn’t understand why. She didn’t have time to think about it, as Baldy yelled, ‘Are you ready, dogs? Mush!’ and let go of the harnesses. The huskies sprang forwards, barking. The sledge lurched and they were off, passing a blur of waving hands and faces. Windy ran alongside the sledge and jumped onto the back, standing on the runners just behind where Stay was lashed. Baldy kept running alongside the dogs, calling out commands and struggling to keep up with them.
Once the huskies were moving, they seemed to forget about Stay. They spread out in a fan shape in front of the sledge, running at a steady pace. She saw how much they loved their work, throwing themselves hard against the harnesses, pulling the sledge across the snow as if they could run forever. They’re just like the Guide Dogs, she thought. Loyal and hard-working creatures. She wished they didn’t dislike her so much. Couldn’t they see they had lots in common with her?
After a while, Stay forgot about the huskies and started to notice the land around them. The wind rushing past her face was cold, but it was a clear sunny day and Stay could see for kilometres. They were heading inland, away from the station and up towards the plateau. She could see a big mountain range ahead of them. It looked quite close. Metal drums marked parts of their route so they could pass safely around the dangerous crevasses, which looked like big, dark blue cracks in the ice.
After the huskies had hauled the sledge for four hours, Stay realised that distances were deceptive in Antarctica. The faraway cliffs didn’t look any closer than when they’d started out. Baldy and Windy had swapped places so now Baldy rode on the back and Windy ran beside the team, and they’d
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