Billy Topsail, M.D.: A Tale of Adventure With Doctor Luke of the Labrador by Norman Duncan

  CHAPTER X

  _In Which Teddy Brisk Confronts the Pack Alone and Cracker Leads the Assault_

  By this time the sun was touching the cliffs of shore. It was a patch ofstruggling white light in the drear gray colour of the west. It woulddrop fast. In his punt, in summer weather, wondering all the while atthe acceleration of this last descent, Teddy Brisk had often paused towatch the sun fall and flicker out of sight. It had seemed to fallbeyond the rim of the world, like a ball.

  "She tumbles through the last foot or two!" he had determined.

  In a little while the sun would be gone. Now the sky was overcast andscowling. In the east it was already dusk. The cloudy black sky in theeast caught no light from the feeble sun. Presently everywhere it wouldbe dark. It had turned colder too. The wind from the north was stillblowing up--a nipping gray wind which would sweep the floe and hamperthe manipulation of the little pan towards which the naked BillyTopsail was striving.

  And the wind lifted the dry snow and drove it past Teddy Brisk's feet inswirling wreaths. The floe was smoking, the boy thought. Before long thesnow would rise higher and envelop him. And he thought that when Billyreached the little pan, and stood exposed and dripping in the blast, hewould be very cold. It would take a long time, too, to haul the littlepan across the lane of water.

  It will be recalled that Teddy Brisk was ten years old. He stood alone.He knew the temper of the dogs. Billy Topsail was out of reach. Theburden of fear had fallen on the boy--not on Billy. The boy had been ina panic; yet he was not now even afraid. Duty occupied him. He had notime for reflection. The hazard of the quarter of an hour to come,however, was clear to him. Should he fail to keep off the dogs throughevery moment of that time, he would be torn to death before Billy couldreturn to his rescue.

  Should Billy Topsail fail to reach the pan--should Billy go downmidway--he would surely be devoured.

  And Billy Topsail was no swimmer to boast of. Teddy knew that. He hadheard Billy tell of it. Billy could keep afloat--could achieve a slow,splashing progress.

  That was true. Billy's chance of winning the pan was small. But Teddywas Labrador born and bred. What now commanded his fear was Billy'sorders to duty. Obedience to a skipper was laid on all men. It must beinstant and unfailing in an emergency. Billy was in command. He wasresponsible. It was for the boy to obey. That was the teaching of hishabitat.

  Consequently Teddy Brisk's terror yielded and he stood fast.

  When Billy began to strip, the dogs were disturbed. What was the man upto? What was this? Queer proceeding this! It was a trick. When he stoodnaked in the wind the dogs were uneasy. When he went into the water theywere alarmed. They withdrew. Cracker and Smoke ran to the water's edgeand stared at Billy--keeping half an eye on the boy meantime. Ittroubles a dog to see a man in the water. Smoke whined. Cracker growledand crouched to leap after Billy. He could easily overtake and drownBilly.

  Teddy went at Cracker and Smoke with his club.

  He screamed at them:

  "Back, you, Cracker! Back, you, Smoke!"

  The dogs responded to this furious authority. They scurried away andrejoined the others. Teddy taunted them. He laughed at the pack,challenged it--crutch under his left arm and club swinging in his righthand. He taunted the dogs by name--Cracker and Smoke and Tucker. Thisbewildered the dogs. They were infinitely suspicious. The boy hobbled atthem in a rage, a few feet forth--the seal-leather line round his waistlimited him--and defied them. They retreated.

  When Teddy returned to the edge of the field they sat regarding him inamazement and renewed suspicion. In this way for a time the boy kept thedogs at a distance--by exciting their surprise and suspicion. Itsufficed for a space. The dogs were curious. They were entertained. Whatwas strange in the behaviour of the quarry, moreover, was fearsome tothe dogs. It indicated unknown resources. The dogs waited.

  Presently Teddy could devise no new startling gestures. He was neversilent--he was never still; but his fantastic antics, growing familiarand proving innocuous, began to fail of effect. Somethingelse--something out of the way and unexpected--must be done to distractand employ the attention of the dogs. They were aware of Billy Topsail'sabsence--they were cunning cowards and they would take advantage of theopportunity.

  The dogs began to move--to whine and circle and toss their heads. Teddycould see the concerted purpose take form. It was as though they wereconspiring together. He was fully aware of what impended. They werecoming! he thought; and they were coming in a moment. It was an attackagreed on. They were to act as a pack.

  They advanced. It was tentative and slow. They paused.

  They came closer. Teddy brandished his club and reviled them in shrillscreams. The dogs paused again. They crouched then. Cracker was in thelead. The boy hated Cracker. Cracker's white breast was touching theice.

  His head was thrust forward. His crest began to rise.