Christmas holidays were underway, and the boys had time together each day. Wayne's and Timothy's mouths dropped open when Robin told them about his encounter with Fritz and the mystery man. Their mouths gaped even farther when they heard about Mr. Debark and what he had said.
"I can't believe he's actually human!" Wayne gasped.
Robin grinned. "He called us very capable and gifted young men." The other two boys couldn't believe their ears. It was strange but true. Although the boys were enjoying the holiday season, they now had the weird sensation of looking forward to school commencing so they could see this new Mr. Debark first-hand.
The meeting with Fritz also had them itching for another trip to Shildii Rock, but the opportunity didn't present itself. Ted was busy with Dana and the dog team checking on several elders who hadn't come in from camp for the holiday season. He allowed Robin several short runs with the dogs each day to get ready for the big New Year's race, but nothing any longer. Timothy and Wayne would ride in the toboggan to provide some extra weight when Robin trained the dogs. Ted told the boys that with Dana at lead the dogs were actually training Robin. They all laughed but realized that Ted was telling the truth.
The New Year's Festival had several events: the rifle shoot, snowshoe races, and the big dog team race. All three boys were participating in the festival — Wayne in the rifle shoot, Timothy in the snowshoe competition and, of course, Robin in the dog team race.
When the big day arrived, Wayne found out that he would be among the first of the boys to compete. The rifle shoot for twelve- to sixteen-year-olds would be the initial event of the day. As things turned out, there wasn't much competition and Wayne easily took first place. Out of ten shots he had four bull's-eyes and six shots in the centre.
Timothy was in for a tougher time. The snowshoe race was three miles long, and the twelve-to sixteen-year-old category was a tough go for a thirteen-year-old. Timothy started near the back of the pack but worked his way towards the front over the first mile. With little more than a mile to go, he moved into second place behind Danny Francis.
Danny was sixteen and was big and strong. With a comfortable lead on Timothy, he kept a relaxed stride and confidently moved towards the finish. He never saw Timothy coming until it was too late. With a sprinter's finish, Timothy closed the gap and moved up beside Danny before the other boy knew what was happening. Although he was surprised, Danny managed to lunge at the finish, and both he and Timothy flew across the line and landed in a heap.
Everyone held their breath as John Kay, Robert Alexi, and Henri Bertrand huddled to decide who had won the race. Chief Kay finally stepped forward. "The judges have talked this over, and we all agree. By the tip of a snowshoe, the winner is … Timothy Parch!"
Robin and Wayne went wild, jumped on their friend, and fell in a pile in the snow. Danny didn't stick around. Angrily, he moved off to get ready for the dog team race.
"Now we have two firsts," Timothy said, smiling. "You have to make it three, Robin."
"I won't get anything if I don't get ready," Robin said. Waving to his friends, he rushed off to get Dana and the team set.
The dogs could feel the excitement of their human handlers. Teams stood barking and tugging at their traces, nervous and anxious for the competition ahead. Some teams began to fight among themselves and had to be separated by their owners.
Dana was quiet and strong. Captain, Louie, Colonel, Corp, Sarg, and old Brig were ready behind her. As Robin approached, Dana stood and barked once. Robin knelt and scratched her behind the ears. Contentedly, she opened her mouth and gave Robin a big, wet kiss with her tongue.
"Let's do this, Dana," Robin whispered in her ear. "Let's show Danny Francis what we can do."
"Are you ready, Robin?" Ted asked as he approached his son.
"You bet I am, Dad! I know we can win this."
Ted nodded. "If you let her, Dana will win this for you. Just give her a little direction and you'll be fine."
Robin hopped onto the back of the toboggan and moved the team to the starting line. There were fourteen teams in the twelve- to sixteen-year-old class this year. Robin was the youngest musher, but everyone knew he had the best team. Danny Francis pulled his team up beside Robin and settled his dogs for the start.
The race would cover a five-mile course. They would head from the river up through town. After curling back over onto the river, they would circle an island and then head for the finish.
"Let's go, Robin!" Wayne and Timothy shouted.
Robin smiled but didn't wave. He didn't want to look too confident and jinx himself. He ran through the course in his mind. If he could get the lead heading around the island, it would be hard for anyone to catch him.
The new constable, Grant Abernathy, had been selected as the official starter, and he moved ahead of the teams to get ready. The teams stood at the starting line as Constable Abernathy raised the red starter's flag. Mushers nervously held their teams back as they stared intently at the flag. The dogs tugged at their traces and barked excitedly. One team lunged ahead and had to be given time to return to the starting line.
Suddenly, without warning, Constable Abernathy flipped the red flag down. It seemed as if all the teams paused for a second, then the race was on. With cheers from the crowd, the dog teams dashed across the ice and up towards the centre of town. Danny Francis and his team had a quick start and immediately cut Robin's team off. Dana had to sidestep or be bumped by Danny's toboggan. With Danny cutting him off, Robin and his team were immediately hemmed in by the other teams from all sides.
As the teams moved off the river and onto the main trail through town, Robin found himself in sixth place. Panic gripped his chest, and he realized he had to settle down. With four miles left in the race, Danny was still clearly in the lead. As they wove through town, the team in front of Robin swung too wide on a corner. Robin moved inside and jumped into fifth place. He could see Danny opening a big lead on the rest of the pack and knew he had to make up ground quickly on the next straightaway. Robin urged the team on. "Okay, Dana, go! Pull, Brig! Captain, Louie, go now!"
Robin's team pulled hard. By the time the racers passed through town, he was creeping into third place. Robin knew the trail well and realized they would soon be back on the river headed for the island turnaround. A final hill lay just before the descent back onto the river. If Robin remembered correctly, the trail veered severely to the left over the hill. The team in front of Robin was taking the trail just about in the middle. If Robin was right and took the left side, he would come out ahead over the hill. If he was wrong, he could end up off the trail or run into spectators and trees.
In a split second Robin made his decision and shifted left. As the toboggan lifted over the hill, Robin saw a tree immediately ahead. He had guessed correctly but was too far left! Before he could utter a word, Dana smoothly took the team to the inside of the tree, then carried left around the turn. Robin's shoulder slammed against the tree, spinning him off the back of the toboggan. Gripping hard with his right hand, he pulled himself upright and back into position.
His gamble had paid off! He was now in second place. His shoulder pounded with pain, but he concentrated on the musher directly in front of him — Danny Francis!
The two lead teams curled back through town and hurtled towards the river, passing the starting line, which would also serve as the finish. A huge crowd had gathered there. The spectators' cheers and shouts, though, seemed far away as Robin concentrated on finishing the race. He was now only two toboggan lengths behind Danny.
As Robin swept past Wayne and Timothy, his friends went wild. Everyone watched as the teams rushed across the ice and disappeared behind the island. Seconds seemed like minutes as the crowd waited anxiously for the two teams to come back into sight on the other side. With an eighth of a mile remaining, whoever had the lead at this stage would have a considerable advantage.
Wayne jumped in the air and hugged Timothy as first Dana and then Louie and the whole team came into view. But Danny wasn't far behind. Ted Harris moved to the front of the crowd. Placing two fingers in his mouth, he whistled loud and clear. The whistle from her master made Dana bolt. The team moved faster, and the crowd saw Robin's lead grow by the second. The race was his!
Robin was filled with excitement and couldn't contain a giddy laugh. He had done it! Dana had done it! He didn't see the drift until it was too late. Hardened by wind on the open river, it acted like a jump. The toboggan hit at full force and tipped. Robin splayed onto the ice but managed to hang on to the toboggan with his left hand. Frantically, he tried to stretch his right hand to the lazy-back, but it was no use. Slowly, his grip loosened and he let go. He felt the head rope pull under his body and made one desperate attempt to snatch it. His mitt closed on the rope, but then it was gone.
Looking up from the ice and snow, Robin spied Dana and the team racing towards the finish line with the toboggan dragging on its side. Danny Francis and his team were only a blur to Robin as he watched them pass, his eyes full of tears. He sat in the snow and sobbed as several other teams sped past. A team had to finish with its rider or it was disqualified. Not only had Robin lost the race, he hadn't even finished!
Removing his mitt and wiping his eyes, he got to his feet and shuffled towards the finish. Wayne and Timothy ran out to meet him. Timothy looked devastated, and Wayne was openly crying. "That was your race," he cried.
"I know," Robin mumbled. "I never saw it coming. I thought I'd won the race and I guess I kind of let up. I have no one to blame but myself."
Timothy and Wayne each put an arm around Robin and accompanied him to the finish line. A crowd had gathered around Danny Francis, but he moved to meet the boys as they approached. Stopping in front of Robin, he held out his hand. "You deserved to win that race, Robin. You were the better driver and you had the better team."
"Thanks," Robin said, lost for any other words as he shook Danny's hand.
The older boy grinned. "You'll win easy next year."
Robin nodded as Danny walked away. Danny's words did make him feel a bit better. Robin searched the crowd for his father, surprised he hadn't greeted him at the finish. Then he spotted his father talking to Constable Abernathy, Johnny Reindeer, and Ben Vittrekwa. As Robin approached, they stopped speaking. Ted stared at Robin, his mouth tight.
Robin avoided eye contact. "I'm sorry, Dad. I know I let you down. I … well —"
"I'm not mad at you, Robin. You mushed a heck of a race. There's something else far more serious than this dog race. Ben just came in from camp. He found Fritz on the trail this morning near Rock River. Son, Fritz is dead."