Read the passage from "Husky—Wolf Dog of the North."

Question

[The husky] is also an actor of no mean ability, concealing the most nefarious designs under the innocent exterior of a newborn lamb. In the old days, before the discovery of the Klondike, the men who freighted grub from Circle City to Birch Creek were wont to charge ten cents per pound more for bacon than for any other merchandise. And even then, so great was the responsibility, they reckoned that they lost on the transaction.

What can be inferred from this passage?

Husky—Wolf Dog of the North

Responses

The men had to watch the huskies closely because even if the dogs seemed blameless, they still stole and ate the bacon the men were hauling if the dogs had a chance.
The men had to watch the huskies closely because even if the dogs seemed blameless, they still stole and ate the bacon the men were hauling if the dogs had a chance.

The men charged more to transport bacon because they knew the miners in other camps would pay a higher price to feed their dogs.
The men charged more to transport bacon because they knew the miners in other camps would pay a higher price to feed their dogs.

The men charged more to transport bacon because they knew the huskies would need to run fast to deliver it before it spoiled.
The men charged more to transport bacon because they knew the huskies would need to run fast to deliver it before it spoiled.

The men had to keep more food for the huskies because if the dogs made a long-distance delivery, they would be especially hungry.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The best inference from the passage is:

The men had to watch the huskies closely because even if the dogs seemed blameless, they still stole and ate the bacon the men were hauling if the dogs had a chance.

This inference aligns with the description of the huskies as being capable of concealing their intentions and suggests that they could be mischievous despite appearing innocent. The mention of the men losing money on the transaction implies the dogs' propensity to take the bacon when given the opportunity.