Rivers Page 4

  Mike continued, “When we return and get the team watered, we will take another longer run with only six dogs. Brownie and Ugly will be the leaders. Doc and Nitro will be in swing with Rivers and Lakota in the wheel. During the return trip, I will swap Lakota and Rivers in as leaders.”

  Many people think Mike is a little crazy for talking to us this way. I guess they do not realize that we understand him. By letting us know what he wants us to do, we can do our best for him. I heard that humans have a problem communicating with each other. I have always wondered why.

  “You can run lead, Rivers?” It was Sunny.

  “Yes I can, but we cannot go too fast when I do and I only run lead in an emergency or on a fun run,” was my reply.

  “But you can't see!” She exclaimed.

  “Yes, I know. You keep reminding me of that.” I said a little too curtly.

  “I am sorry Rivers, you just amaze me.” Sunny said.

  “I am sorry that I was short with you,” I said. “When I lost my sight, my hearing, sense of smell and sense of presence, or radar as Mike calls it, intensified. Also, I have my teammates. With them, I have five and sometimes six pairs of eyes.”

  I heard Mike pull the sled out of the shed and set up the lines. I know that he uses two snow hooks, one in the rear, and one in the front. Mike uses two hooks until he gets the lead dogs harnessed up and snapped into their positions. After the lead dogs are in position, Mike tells them to sit and they do. Then he harnesses the rest of the dogs in their positions with the wheel dogs harnessed last. Once Mike finishes, he pulls the front snow hook and double-checks all of our lines and snaps. After he gets on the runners, Mike pulls the rear snow hook, tells us to stand up, and then says, “Okay team. Get ready. Go!”

  I heard Lakota tell Sunny what was happening. Doc was the first one into position. Mike told Doc to sit as he slipped Doc's harness over his head. Once the harness passed Doc's head, Mike told Doc to stand up. Mike then told Doc, “Paw up.” I know that when Mike touched Doc's paw, Doc would lift it so Mike could place it through the harness opening for his front legs. I heard “Paw down.” and knew Mike would start working with Doc's other paw.

  After Doc was in harness, Mike snapped the lines to Doc's harness and collar. Mike then told Doc to sit. He did the same to each of us and saved Sunny for last.

  We all told Sunny to listen to Mike and let him get the harness on her. She did. We asked her if the harness was too tight and she said it fit perfectly. She said that Mike gave her a tummy rub, patted her head, and told her she was a good dog.

  “Well how do I look guys?” Sunny asked.

  I heard Lakota just mumble, “Lady dogs, always worrying about how they look!” and I said she looked great.

  “Rivers how would you know that?” She demanded. I heard the guys laugh as Christmas surprised us all with, “Sunny, blind dogs see things differently than we do.” You could tell Christmas was very serious by the tone in her voice.

  “Where did she get that?” Lakota asked.

  “I have no idea,” I replied

  After Mike secured Sunny into her harness Doc said, “Now Sunny, we are not going to go very fast, so you can just take it nice and easy. You can move to either the right side of the centerline or the left; whichever is more comfortable for you. Just let Rivers know if you will be running in front of him.” Doc continued. “Do not worry about falling or tripping over the lines. The trail is very nice and there should be no holes. Christmas and I will keep the lines taut so they will not get under your feet. Just find your pace and enjoy the run. There is nothing to worry about. Believe me it will come naturally to you.” Doc finished with “Does that sound okay to you, Sunny?”

  “I am very excited about this,” Sunny said. “I know I can do a good job. Thanks for being so kind and patient.”

  I knew she was very scared, but she was a gutsy lady dog and would do her best. I knew the rest of the team was watching and cheered her on. “Look at that lady dog, I bet she is lead dog material!” That was Brownie.

  Ugly added, “You go, girl.”

  Then Nitro said, “Sunny, show them what a champion looks like.” And if that were not enough, all of us started with a “Go Sunny go” chant.

  Above the chant we could hear Sandy's’ voice saying, “Hey Sunny, show these guys what a classy lady dog can do!”

  Christmas told me that there was a big broad smile on Sunny's face. She was really enjoying the encouragement.

  I heard Mike get on the runners, pull the rear snow hook, and said, “Okay team. Get ready. Go!”

  Lakota and I leaned into our harnesses and got the sled moving. Doc and Christmas pulled the lines tight as I heard our footsteps in the snow. Soon we were gliding down the trail.

  Lakota told me that Sunny was in front of him and she was doing okay. She actually was pulling and doing her part. He said she looked very strong and very sure-footed. You would never guess that this was her first time running with a sled dog team.

  Lakota said that every time Mike gave a “Haw” or “Gee” command, Sunny would watch Doc to see what he would do. Yes, experienced team dogs watch their leaders. Soon she knew that if Mike said, “Haw,” we would go to the left, or if he said “Gee,” we would go to the right. If Mike said “Straight on,” we would go straight.

  Sunny was learning very fast. Doc and Christmas kept asking her how she was doing, and she told them that she was having a lot of fun. She was really enjoying this.

  Since Sunny was not tiring out, Mike stayed on the trail a little longer than he said he would. That was fine with us. It was a beautiful day for a fun run.

  We were just easing around a bend when Mike said “Doc, gee straight.” Now that means Mike wants the leaders to make a half right turn, which will take us off the trail. We do this if there is another team coming up from behind that wants to pass us, or if we meet another team on the trail. Common trail courtesy is for each team to give the other a lot of room to pass.

  However, I could not hear this team moving. I heard Mike say, “Stop. Sit,” which means Mikes wants us to stop and sit down. We did that and I heard Mike plant the rear snow hook and get off the runners, while talking softly. Lakota told me that Mike was talking into the little box that Mike called a cell phone.

  Something did not feel right. Lakota told me that there was another 6-dog team parked on the other side of the trail, but there was no musher. Mike walked over to the dogs, but they were nervous and cowering.

  I heard a voice talking from behind this team. “What are you doing around my dogs”?

  I heard Mike reply, “Are you the musher of this team?”

  “Yeah, so what?” was the reply.

  Mike said, “Just checking to see if you need any help.”

  “Nope,” the voice said, “you can just mind your business and move on.”

  “Actually, what you are doing here is my business.” Mike said. “You are on my property. Moreover, I do not allow people who do not ask my permission to be on it. It is all posted land. Now pack it up and move it out.” Mike continued “Oh, by the way the snare traps you are putting out are illegal, and I don't want them on my property.”

  I heard the musher's voice move closer to Mike and say, ”You seem to know a lot, maybe too much for your own good.” The voice sounded very menacing.

  “You are right,” Mike said, his voice not flinching, “I do know a lot, especially about that helicopter you are hearing overhead. It is a state trooper chopper, the one I called when I saw you trespassing and setting up illegal traps. I would guess that all of those pelts you have in that sled are illegal also.”

  It was very quiet except for the chopper coming closer to us. “One more thing,” Mike said, “beating your dogs is also illegal.” I heard Mike walk over to one of the dogs on the other team. “This dog's name is Smokey Joe. I know this dog, I can see where you have beat him.”

  Lakota told me it was Smokey Joe, and he did not look like the dog we knew. He was cowerin
g, dirty, and looked like he had been beat up a lot.

  “Smokey, this is Rivers. Is that you?” I asked.

  “Rivers,” the dog replied, “yes it is me Smokey Joe. Be careful,” he said, ”this musher is a very bad person.”

  The chopper was directly overhead when the musher pushed Mike down and then jumped on the runners of his sled. The team would have run over Mike, but we told the team not to go. They were confused, but did not move. The musher came around to the front of the team where Smokey Joe was, but Smokey Joe jumped the musher. That gave Mike a chance to get up and hold the musher until the trooper chopper landed. Lakota told me that the musher kicked Smokey Joe in the head and Smokey went down, just before the troopers grabbed the musher.

  Lakota said that Smokey was not moving and Mike was kneeling next to him. Smokey's head was in Mike's lap and he was gently stroking Smokey's head. Doc said that Smokey opened his eyes. He looked at us and said that he was very sorry for being mean to us the last time we ran together. He said he was stupid for running away. He wished he had raced with us to Nome and honored his Husky heritage. Smokey looked up at Mike, licked his hand, and closed his eyes. Smokey was gone.

  Lakota told me that Mike took his knife out of his pocket and cut Smokey Joe out of his harness. The troopers walked up to Mike and he told the troopers that he was going to take Smokey back to our place and give him a decent burial. Mike suggested that one of the troopers drive Smokey's team up to Mike's kennel and he would find homes for the dogs. The pelts and traps were evidence, and Mike told the troopers he would be available to testify against this musher if needed.

  Christmas’ voice sounded confused and sad as she told me how Mike gently lifted Smokey Joe up off the ground, placed him in our sled basket, and covered him with a blanket. Outside of Mike's commands, the run home was very quiet and somber.

  Sunny was stunned. What had started as a fun run, turned tragic. She did not know about Smokey Joe. On the run back home, we told her about how he was a bully, picked on Old Rex and me, plus snapped at Christmas and Mike. We told Sunny that Smokey did not want to run in the big race, and how he planned to get us disqualified from it. We told Sunny that Smokey ran off and joined a wolf pack after he was dropped at a checkpoint for a phony limp. That was the last we saw of him until today.

  We were all silent until Lakota said, “Who would have thought that Smokey Joe would live up to his Husky heritage, to live and die on the trails we love to run and race on?” Lakota continued. “Who would have thought that Smokey would protect Mike?”

  After we got home, Mike got us out of our harnesses and gave us fresh water. The other guys were ready for their run, but we told them what had happened. We were all in the yard talking, while listening to Mike in his workshop. He was building something. We walked over to the workshop. The door was open. Ugly was standing next to me and told me what he saw. Smokey Joe was still wrapped in the blanket and resting on one part of the worktable. Mike was building a box that was the same size as Smokey Joe. Doc told us that the box is called a coffin. After we die, our spirits cross the Rainbow Bridge, but our bodies stay here. We will not need them at the Bridge since we will be happy, young, and healthy dogs.

  Ugly told us that Mike had his back to us and when he turned around, you could tell he was very sad. I guess Mike saw us standing there because he said, “So you guys are feeling sad also? Well, Smokey may have been a bad dog, but in the end, he was a good dog and a hero.” Mike added, “We will remember him for the good and not the bad. That is how we should remember anyone who dies”

  Ugly told me that Mike put one of our team harnesses on Smokey Joe. Then Mike took off Smokey's old collar and put one of our team collars on him. Ugly said that Mike took a brush and brushed Smokey out and made him look like the champion he had been.

  “You are on my team now Smokey,” Mike said, as he gently placed Smokey into the box and put the top on it. Brownie said that Mike's face was a little wet and his eyes were red. Yes I thought, Mike was very sad. As we looked at the box, Nitro said that Mike painted Smokey Joe's name on it and underneath his name the word “HERO.”

  Mike lifted the box up and I heard him carry it out of the workshop. Lakota was next to me and we walked with the rest of the team to a hill that is located a little ways down the trail. It is not a big hill, but it looks down on the trail.

  When we got to the hill, Lakota told me that Mike put the box down and cleared the snow from the ground. Mike began to dig a hole in the ground. The dirt was not frozen as it was on the trail since the sun warms the ground here. I heard where Mike was digging and I started to dig the dirt by his feet. Next thing I knew, we all were digging in the dirt helping Mike dig this grave for Smokey.

  When we were done, Mike placed Smokey's coffin into the grave, and covered it with dirt. Mike said that when Spring comes, he would plant some flowers here and put a marker on Smokey's grave. We sat for a few moments and I got a strange, but nice feeling, that Smokey was across the Bridge looking back smiling at us, and happy with what we did for him. I bet he was truly happy for the first time in his life.

  The Night After the Day Before

  When we returned from where we buried Smokey, we all went to our doghouses to get some rest. After a while, we all came back out to the yard and started to talk about what had happened. This had been a confusing day. What had started out as a fun day turned into a sad day, which made us think about how lucky we were.

  “Uncle Rivers.” It was Christmas. “I am confused,” she said. I asked her what was confusing her.

  She was remembering Smokey Joe as a very mean dog who snapped at her when he visited us before the big race. She reminded us that Smokey had picked on Aunt Sandy and Grandpa Rex. She even remembered how Mike wrestled Smokey to the ground in order to protect us from him. He was a big powerful dog. However, when we saw him today, he looked so old and weak. He even protected Mike. Christmas asked whether she should feel sad or angry.

  There was silence until Lakota answered her. He said that we should feel sad because Smokey died, but we should feel very happy that he is in a better place now, and that he turned out to be a good dog. Lakota added that it is all right to feel angry, but we should replace that anger with appreciation and happiness that we are in a good home, with a good musher who takes great care of us.

  I was amazed at Lakota for what he said. He really knew the score. However, Nitro finally put this issue to rest when he said, “Christmas, our job as dogs is to be good and to protect our musher. Some of us do and some of do not. Smokey chose not to be good, but in the end, he did the right thing. He proved that good would always win over evil.”

  This was coming from Nitro. Amazing! Nitro stood nose to nose with Smokey Joe when Smokey picked on Grandpa Rex and me. Sometimes words of wisdom come from the least expected mouths.

  “Christmas,” Sunny said, “you have some very smart Uncles.”

  “Yes,” Christmas said. “And they are very brave and I am proud of all of them.”

  “And we are proud of you too Christmas.” It was Ugly. “But it is time for you to go to bed and get your rest.” He added, “We have to make up for lost training time tomorrow.”

  “Okay, Uncle Ugly, but who is going to tell me my good night story?” Christmas asked. Each night Brownie, Ugly, or Doc tells Christmas a story. So we were surprised when Nitro said, “I will. Let's go.”

  “You never told me a story before, Uncle Nitro,” Christmas said.

  “Well,” Nitro said, “There is a first time for everything.” He started the story. “Let me tell you about the time a moose and ……” His voice trailed off as they went to Christmas’ doghouse.

  You could tell Brownie was surprised when he said, “Do you guys think it is a good idea for Nitro to tell stories to Christmas?” He added, “I heard some of his stories and they made me blush.”

  Ugly chimed in with, “Well Brownie, are you going to tell Nitro that he cannot tell Christmas stories?”

 
; “You must be crazy to think I would dare to do that.” Brownie chuckled. “I'd be his next story!”

  As we laughed, Lakota said, “You know, I bet there is a soft tender side to Nitro that we have never seen, yet Christmas brings it out. I bet he is very careful with the stories he tells her.”

  Doc said, “He is very protective of her, just as if she was his own pup. But then we all are. Makes you think a bit about how we all were put in the same place at the same time to save her.”

  “Jeez, Doc,” Ugly said, “you make my head hurt with all of this thinking stuff. I'm going to bed.”

  I heard them all wander off to their doghouses. However, I did not hear Sunny's footsteps. I turned to her and said, “Well you sure had an adventurous day.”

  “Rivers,” she asked, “how did you know I did not go to my doghouse.” I told her that I did not hear her footsteps walk away and I heard her breathing. She was standing right next to me. I turned to face her.

  She told me she was still shook up over what had happened. I changed the subject and asked her how she liked running with the team. She really perked up. She was very excited and she told me she liked it and hoped we could do more of it. It told her we would, but we needed to turn in. I told her that I bet Mike would start us early tomorrow. I told Sunny that I knew she had done very well. Lakota and Doc were watching her and said that she ran like a natural. “I bet you will be running lead very soon,” I said

  “And did you watch me also?” she asked with a smile in her voice.

  “Well that is for me to know and you to find out.” I laughed.

  “Oh Rivers, you are so frustrating,” Sunny cried.

  “Did we have this conversation before?” I continued laughing and said, “Early to bed and early to rise makes us Huskies healthy, hardy and wise.” I continued. “It is past my bedtime, Sunny.” I walked her to her doghouse, said goodnight, and started to walk back to mine.

  “Good night Rivers, pleasant dreams,” she said. Yes, it thought to myself, I always seem to have great dreams.