Fortunately he held to his jerkstrap and at last succeeded in stopping the animal's mad rush. The Jap girl smiled again as she took the jerkstrap from his hand and tied it down short to her own sled. Then she leaped upon her sled again and, with some cooing words spoke to her reindeer.

"We're off," he exclaimed, leaping on his sled and slapping his reindeer on the thigh with the jerkstrap. "Yes," the Jap girl smiled as she followed his example. Johnny thought they were "off," but it took only an instant to tell that they were not. His deer cut a circle and sent him gliding away over the snows.