“Careful. I think this dog might have distemper.” The musher tells Sue and Harry causing the two humans to step back a few paces as if thinking they might get the disease. It’s just then that the musher manages to slip the collar around Bryan’s neck. “That should deal with you for now.” He tells the struggling dog in a voice so low the humans can not hear.
“Think he is very sick?” Harry asks a bit nervously thinking of just how much he has handled that dog before the adult arrived.
“And what’s this about a dog talking? You two got the trail sickness?” The musher asks looking from one teen to the other eye brows raised questionly. “If so I think I have something that might help.” He says fishing in a pocket for a moment then offering a small tin to the pair. “Chewing upon this jerky always helps me when I have a long trail before returning home.”
“No! Stay away from him he is bad!” Bryan says curling his lip to show fang as he tries to keep Harry and Sue away from the musher. Not yet able to remember why this older human is bad Bryan stops his growling to think. But seeing the looks of fright from both the kids the malamute starts to look confused wondering what he did wrong.
The musher smiles slightly as the collar seems to do the job. The dog’s words now nothing but dog sounds to human ears. He watches as Bryan struggles with keeping his wits as the affects of the collar around his neck take hold. “Might be kinder to put him out of his misery and end his suffering.”
As the three sled teams of dogs look on Keula for once is not gloating as he has seen dogs put down before. His eyes going to the rifle tucked upon his musher’s sled he hopes Amber has not figured out what the human is talking about. Maybe the trouble maker will be spared he thinks none too happy with the idea of any dog being killed. But being a pack leader he knows the pack can not be put in danger over one dog. Bryan almost causing trouble for the master his fate does not look good Keula thinks. Turning to his mate he licks and mouths one of her ears while leaning his weight against her as much as the traces they both still wear allow.