king dog with the magnificent brute owned by Attalaq. Both Papik and
Attalaq were paying evident attentions to Ahningnetty, the chubby and
ever smiling maiden, who, while she showed a certain leaning toward
Papik, had misgivings as to his eligibility as a husband because of his
long fingers.
Born of noted fighters, a dog attains the position of "king" or chief
dog of a team by whipping all the dogs in the team of his particular
master. When he has asserted his supremacy over the dogs of his own
team, he is successively set before the rulers of other teams. And by
a process of elimination of those which lose, the two final victors in
a village are finally aligned against one another.
In the series of fights held between the king dogs of the various
teams, both Papik's and Attalaq's had come off with final honors. The
immediate contest between the two most distinguished canines in the
village was an event of exciting importance, and to the women there was
a romantic zest in it, for all believed that victory would determine
Ahningnetty's favor.
At the time of the event all who could do so crowded into Attalaq's
stone house. In the centre of a tense group of onlookers the two dogs
were placed before each other. They were handsome animals, with long
keen noses, denoting an aristocracy of canine birth, and long shaggy
coats, mottled brown and white, as soft as silk. A long line of
victories lay to the credit of each.
A sharp howl announced the fight--the two lithe bodies leaped
together--the air within the little circle became electric. The dogs
snapped, tumbled over each other. Their sharp teeth sank into each
other's shanks. The natives cheered whenever a favorite secured an
advantage. Bets were made. Papik's eyes gleamed as he alternately
watched his dog and the face of Ahningnetty as she peered interestedly
over the onlookers' shoulders. Attalaq's countenance was grim--not a
muscle moved.
Finally Attalaq's dog, with a chagrined growl, unexpectedly rushed from
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