Mush

Down the frozen grand allee at Quebec a team of seven excited dogs romped. They were harnessed to a sled. Behind the sled trotted young Emil St. Goddard, smiling. It was the finish of the eastern international dog sled derby and St. Goddard had defeated his archrival, Leonhard Seppala, by the comfortable margin of 20 minutes, set a new record for the event (120 miles, 40 miles per day, elapsed time, 11 hr., 37 min., 35 sec.), won a cash prize of $1,000. Enthusiastic thousands noted that dogs with long legs had come in first. Conservative Seppala had relied upon the slightly squat pure-bred Siberian variety, had lost to St. Goddard whose team was composed of rangier animals, half wolfhound, half Husky.

At Ashton, Idaho, Earl Kimball of the government mail service won the eleventh annual U. S. dog derby, a much shorter event. Breaking no record he covered the 25-mile course in 1 hr., 57 min., 16 sec., evoked comment by using a team of Irish setters. The latter are said to have understood the term "Mush!" perfectly, to have behaved beautifully in the absence of quail, pheasant, etc.

In the meantime Balto, onetime lead dog for Seppala, super-canine transporter of serum to Nome, yawned in durance vile and warm at Los Angeles (TIME, Feb. 28). He may have reflected that every dog has his matinee, wondered who was leading them now.