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Andmenwhohavesharedtheirbedwithdeathknowwhenthecallissounded.Masonwasterriblycrushed.Themostcursoryexaminationrevealedit.
Hisrightarm,leg,andbackwerebroken;hislimbswerearalyzedfromthehis;andthelikelihoodofinternalinjurieswaslarge.Anoccasionalmoanwashisonlysignoflife.
Nohoe;nothingtobedone.Theitilessnightcretslowlyby-Ruth&aos;sortion,thedesairingstoicismofherrace,andMalemuteKidaddingnewlinestohisfaceofbronze.
Infact,Masonsufferedleastofall,forhesenthistimeineasternTennessee,intheGreatSmokyMountains,livingoverthescenesofhischildhood.Andmostatheticwasthemelodyofhislong-forgottenSouthernvernacular,asheravedofswimmingholesandcoonhuntsandwatermelonraids.ItwasasGreektoRuth,buttheKidunderstoodandfelt-feltasonlyonecanfeelwhohasbeenshutoutforyearsfromallthatcivilizationmeans.
Morningbroughtconsciousnesstothestrickenman,andMalemuteKidbentclosertocatchhiswhisers.
‘YourememberwhenweforegatheredontheTanana,fouryearscomenexticerun?Ididn&aos;tcaresomuchforherthen.Itwasmorelikeshewasretty,andtherewasasmackofexcitementaboutit,Ithink.ButI&aos;veknow,I&aos;vecometothinkaheaofher.She&aos;sbeenagoodwifetome,alwaysatmyshoulderintheinch.Andwhenitcomestotrading,youknowthereisn&aos;therequal.D&aos;yerecollectthetimesheshottheMoosehornRaidstoullyouandmeoffthatrock,thebulletswhiingthewaterlikehailstones?-andthetimeofthefamineatNuklukyeto?-whensheracedtheiceruntobringthenews?’
Yes,she&aos;sbeenagoodwifetome,better&aos;nthatotherone.Didn&aos;tknowI&aos;dbeenthere?
Nevertoldyou,eh?Well,Itrieditonce,downintheStates.That&aos;swhyI&aos;mhere.Beenraisedtogether,too.Icameawaytogiveherachancefordivorce.Shegotit.
‘Butthat&aos;sgotnothingtodowithRuth.IhadthoughtofcleaninguandullingfortheOutsidenextyear-herandI-butit&aos;stoolate.Don&aos;tsendherbacktohereole,Kid.It&aos;sbeastlyhardforawomantogoback.Thinkofit!-nearlyfouryearsonourbaconandbeansandflouranddriedfruit,andthentogobacktoherfishandcaribou.It&aos;snotgoodforhertohavetriedourways,tocometoknowthey&aos;rebetter&aos;nhereole&aos;s,andthenreturntothem.Takecareofher,Kidwhydon&aos;tyou-butno,youalwaysfoughtshyofthem-andyounevertoldmewhyyoucametothiscountry.Bekindtoher,andsendherbacktotheStatesassoonasyoucan.Butfixitsoshecancomeback-liabletogethomesick,youknow.’
‘Andtheyoungster-it&aos;sdrawnuscloser,Kid.Ionlyhoeitisaboy.Thinkofit!-fleshofmyflesh,Kid.Hemustn&aos;tstointhiscountry.Andifit&aos;sagirl,why,shecan&aos;t.Sellmyfurs;they&aos;llfetchatleastfivethousand,andI&aos;vegotasmuchmorewiththecomany.Andhandlemyinterestswithyours.Ithinkthatbenchclaimwillshowu.Seethathegetsagoodschooling;andKid,aboveall,don&aos;tlethimcomeback.Thiscountrywasnotmadeforwhitemen.’
‘I&aos;magoneman,Kid.Threeorfoursleesatthebest.You&aos;vegottogoon.Youmustgoon!Remember,it&aos;smywife,it&aos;smyboy-OGod!Ihoeit&aos;saboy!Youcan&aos;tstaybyme-andIchargeyou,adyingman,toullon.’
‘Givemethreedays,&aos;leadedMalemuteKid.&aos;Youmaychangeforthebetter;somethingmayturnu.’
‘No.’
‘Justthreedays.’
‘Youmustullon.’
‘Twodays.’
‘It&aos;smywifeandmyboy,Kid.Youwouldnotaskit.’
‘Oneday.’
‘No,no!Icharge-’
‘Onlyoneday.Wecanshaveitthroughonthegrub,andImightknockoveramoose.’
‘No-allright;oneday,butnotaminutemore.And,Kid,don&aos;t-don&aos;tleavemetofaceitalone.Justashot,oneullonthetrigger.Youunderstand.Thinkofit!Thinkofit!Fleshofmyflesh,andI&aos;llneverlivetoseehim!’
‘SendRuthhere.Iwanttosaygood-byandtellherthatshemustthinkoftheboyandnotwaittillI&aos;mdead.ShemightrefusetogowithyouifIdidn&aos;t.Goodby,oldman;good-by.’
‘Kid!Isay-a-sinkaholeabovetheu,nexttotheslide.Iannedoutfortycentsonmyshovelthere.’
‘And,Kid!&aos;Hestooedlowertocatchthelastfaintwords,thedyingman&aos;ssurrenderofhisride.&aos;I&aos;msorry-for-youknow-Carmen.&aos;Leavingthegirlcryingsoftlyoverherman,MalemuteKidsliedintohisarkaandsnowshoes,tuckedhisrifleunderhisarm,andcretawayintotheforest.HewasnotyrointhesternsorrowsoftheNorthland,butneverhadhefacedsostiffaroblemasthis.Intheabstract,itwasalain,mathematicalroositionthreeossiblelivesasagainstonedoomedone.Butnowhehesitated.Forfiveyears,shouldertoshoulder,ontheriversandtrails,inthecamsandmines,facingdeathbyfieldandfloodandfamine,hadtheyknittedthebondsoftheircomradeshi.SoclosewasthetiethathehadoftenbeenconsciousofavaguejealousyofRuth,fromthefirsttimeshehadcomebetween.Andnowitmustbeseveredbyhisownhand.’
Thoughherayedforamoose,justonemoose,allgameseemedtohavedesertedtheland,andnightfallfoundtheexhaustedmancrawlingintocam,lighthanded,heavyhearted.AnuroarfromthedogsandshrillcriesfromRuthhastenedhim.
Burstingintothecam,hesawthegirlinthemidstofthesnarlingack,layingaboutherwithanax.Thedogshadbrokentheironruleoftheirmastersandwererushingthegrub.
Hejoinedtheissuewithhisriflereversed,andthehoarygameofnaturalselectionwaslayedoutwithalltheruthlessnessofitsrimevalenvironment.Rifleandaxwentuanddown,hitormissedwithmonotonousregularity;lithebodiesflashed,withwildeyesanddriingfangs;andmanandbeastfoughtforsuremacytothebitterestconclusion.Thenthebeatenbrutescrettotheedgeofthefirelight,lickingtheirwounds,voicingtheirmiserytothestars.
Thewholestockofdriedsalmonhadbeendevoured,anderhasfiveoundsofflourremainedtotidethemovertwohundredmilesofwilderness.Ruthreturnedtoherhusband,whileMalemuteKidcututhewarmbodyofoneofthedogs,theskullofwhichhadbeencrushedbytheax.Everyortionwascarefullyutaway,savethehideandoffal,whichwerecasttohisfellowsofthemomentbefore.
Morningbroughtfreshtrouble.Theanimalswereturningoneachother.Carmen,whostillclungtoherslenderthreadoflife,wasdownedbytheack.Thelashfellamongthemunheeded.Theycringedandcriedundertheblows,butrefusedtoscattertillthelastwretchedbithaddisaeared-bones,hide,hair,everything.
MalemuteKidwentabouthiswork,listeningtoMason,whowasbackinTennessee,deliveringtangleddiscoursesandwildexhortationstohisbrethrenofotherdays.
Takingadvantageofneighboringines,heworkedraidly,andRuthwatchedhimmakeacachesimilartothosesometimesusedbyhunterstoreservetheirmeatfromthewolverinesanddogs.
Oneaftertheother,hebentthetosoftwosmallinestowardeachotherandnearlytotheground,makingthemfastwiththongsofmoosehide.Thenhebeatthedogsintosubmissionandharnessedthemtotwoofthesleds,loadingthesamewitheverythingbutthefurswhichenveloedMason.Thesehewraedandlashedtightlyabouthim,fasteningeitherendoftherobestothebentines.Asinglestrokeofhishuntingknifewouldreleasethemandsendthebodyhighintheair.
Ruthhadreceivedherhusband&aos;slastwishesandmadenostruggle.Poorgirl,shehadlearnedthelessonofobediencewell.Fromachild,shehadbowed,andseenallwomenbow,tothelordsofcreation,anditdidnotseeminthenatureofthingsforwomantoresist.TheKidermittedheroneoutburstofgrief,asshekissedherhusband-herowneolehadnosuchcustom-thenledhertotheforemostsledandheledherintohersnowshoes.Blindly,instinctively,shetookthegeeoleandwhi,and&aos;mushed&aos;thedogsoutonthetrail.ThenhereturnedtoMason,whohadfallenintoacoma,andlongaftershewasoutofsightcrouchedbythefire,waiting,hoing,rayingforhiscomradetodie.
ItisnotleasanttobealonewithainfulthoughtsintheWhiteSilence.Thesilenceofgloomismerciful,shroudingoneaswithrotectionandbreathingathousandintangiblesymathies;butthebrightWhiteSilence,clearandcold,understeelyskies,isitiless.
Anhourassed-twohours-butthemanwouldnotdie.Athighnoonthesun,withoutraisingitsrimabovethesouthernhorizon,threwasuggestionoffireathwarttheheavens,thenquicklydrewitback.MalemuteKidrousedanddraggedhimselftohiscomrade&aos;sside.Hecastoneglanceabouthim.TheWhiteSilenceseemedtosneer,andagreatfearcameuonhim.Therewasasharreort;Masonswungintohisaerialseulcher,andMalemuteKidlashedthedogsintoawildgalloashefledacrossthesnow.
