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Themanhadfallenintothecreekandhadsrainedhisankle.
Hecalledtohisfriend,
"Isay,Bill,waitthere.I&aos;vesrainedmyankle.
"
Therewasnoanswer.Billhaddisaearedinthedamfog.AlthoughitwasstillAugust,theCanadianwildernesslaycoldandlonelyintheweaklightoftheafternoonsun.Everywherewasthedullskyline.Thehillswerealllow-lying.Therewerenotrees.Therewasnothingbutdesolationthatsentfearintotheman&aos;sheart.
"Bill!
"hecalledagain.
"Bill!
"Therewasnoanswer.
Themanrosetohisfeet,shakingasifhehadafever.Hefoughtagainstthefearinhisheart.Hefoundhisgunwherehehaddroeditinthewater.Thenhecontinuedhiswayslowly.Thegunwasnowuseless,forhehadnoammunitionforit,buthedidnotleaveit.
Heshiftedhisacktohisleftshouldersoastofavorhisrightankleandhurriedtothetoofahill.Fromtherehesawabroadvalley,emtyoflife.
Thebottomofthevalleywassoftandswamy.Heushedon,tryingtofollowthetracksofhiscomanion.
Thoughhewasnowalone,hewasnotlost.Fartheralongheknewwheretofindthetrail.Hewouldfollowituntilitcametotheriver,wheretheyhadlefttheircanoe,weighteddownwithrocks.Underthecanoewasacacheofammunitionforhisemtygun,fishhooksandlines,andasmallnet.Hewouldalsofindsomeflour,bacon,andbeans-notmuch,fortheyhadtakenmostoftheirfoodwiththemontheirtriintothenorthcountrylookingforgold.
HeknewBillwouldwaitforhimthere;thentheywouldaddledowntherivertoaHudsonBayComanyost,wheretherewouldbewarmshelterandlentyoffood.
Thesewerethethoughtsofthemanashelimedalongthetrail.ThenhebegantothinkthaterhasBillhaddesertedhim.Themanhadnoteatenfortwodays,andnowwastheaddedfearofstarvation.Hehadstoedafewtimestoeatsomewildberries,buttheyweremostlyseedsandbitter.Hishungerincreasedbythehour.
Alreadythesunhadsliedbeyondthehorizon.Suddenlyhestruckhistoeonarockyledgeandfell.Helaystillforsometimewithoutmovement.Thenhesliedoutofhisackstrasanddraggedhimselftoasittingosition.Itwasnotyetdark,andinthelingeringtwilighthegatheredsomemoss.Whenhehadagood-sizedile,hebuiltafireandsetasmallailofwateroverthefiretoboil.
Heunwraedhisack,andthefirstthinghedidwastocounthismatches.Thereweresixty-seven.Hecountedthemthreetimestomakesure.Hedividedthemintothreesmallacks,wraingtheminoilaer,uttingonebunchinhisemtytobaccoouch,anotherbunchintheinsidebandofhishat,andthethirdbunchunderhisshirtonhischest.Hewasafraidthatifhefellintothewateragain,allofhismatcheswouldbecomewetanduseless.
Hedriedhisfootgearbythefire.Thewetmoccasinshadbeencuttoieces.Thesockswerewornthroughinlaces,andhisanklehadswollentothesizeofhisknee.Hetorealongstrifromoneofhisblanketsandboundtheankletightly.Hetoreotherstrisandboundthemabouthisfeetforfootwear.Hewascold,andheknewthattherewouldsoonbethedangerofsnowandfrost.Afterthewaterheated,hedranksomeofit;thenhewoundhiswatch,andcrawledbetweenhisblankets.Hesletlikeadeadman.
Atsixo&aos;clockheawoke,lyingonhisback.Hegazedstraightuintothegrayskyandknewthathewashungry.Asherolledoveronhiselbow,heheardaloudsnortandsawacariboulookingathimstrangely.Theanimalwasnotmorethanfiftyfeetaway,andinstantlythemanhadthoughtsofacaribousteakfryingoverafire.Hereachedforhisemtygun,aimed,andulledthetrigger.Theanimalsnortedattheclickoftheemtygunandranaway.
Themancursedandgroanedaloudashedraggedhimselftohisfeet.Slowlyherolledhisacktogether.Helookedatthemoose-hidebagthathecarriedinhisack.Itwasextraweight,andhebegantowonderwhatvalueitscontentshadnow.However,herolledittogetherwithhisaceandstartedout.
Theaininhisanklewasterrific,butitwasnoworsethanthatinhisemtystomach.Thehungerhadbecomefrightful.Inalittlewhilehecameuonavalleywheresomebirdsroseonwhirringwings,
"Ker...ker...ker,
"theycriedastheyflewaway.Hethrewstonesbuthecouldnothitaone.Helacedhisackonthegroundandbegantostalkthebirdslikeacat.
Thesharrockscutthroughhisantslegstillhiskneeswerescratchedandbleeding,buthewasnotawareofhishurtsashishungerwassogreat.Hecursedthebirdsandmockedthemwiththeirowncry.
Asthedayworeon,hecameintoavalleywheregamewasmorelentiful.Aherdoftwentycaribouassedbywithinriflerange.Hefeltlikerunningafterthem,butheknewsuchaneffortwouldbesenseless.Oncehesawafoxwithabirdinitsmouth.Hecalledloudly,hoingtofrightenthefoxintodroingthebird;butthefox,leaingawayinfright,didnotdrothebird.
Hewaswearyandoftenwishedtorest-toliedownandslee,buthewasdrivenonbyhishunger.Hesearchedlittleondsforfrogsanddugutheearthwithhisfingernailsforworms,thoughheknewthatneitherfrogsnorwormslivedthatfarnorth.
Inoneareahewalkedalongacreek,lookingforfish.Inaoolhefoundasmallone.Hediedhisarmintothewaterutohisshoulder,butthefishgotaway.Thenhereachedforitwithbothhands,stirringuthemudatthebottom.Inhisexcitementhefellin,wettinghimselftothewaist.Sincehecouldnolongerseethefish,hehadtowaituntilthewatercleared.
