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〃Go on an' shoot；〃 said Shorty； wiggling the hatchet。 〃I'm just aching
for a chance to brain you。 Go on an' start the festivities。〃
〃This is mutiny；〃 Stine broke in。 〃You were engaged to obey orders。〃
Shorty turned on him。
〃Oh； you'll get yours as soon as I finish with your pardner； you little
hog…wallopin' snooper； you。〃
〃Sprague；〃 Kit said； 〃I'll give you just thirty seconds to put away that
gun and get that oar out。〃
Sprague hesitated； gave a short hysterical laugh； put the revolver away
and bent his back to the work。
For two hours more； inch by inch； they fought their way along the
edge of the foaming rocks； until Kit feared he had made a mistake。 And
then； when on the verge of himself turning back； they came abreast of a
narrow opening； not twenty feet wide； which led into a land…locked
inclosure where the fiercest gusts scarcely flawed the surface。 It was the
haven gained by the boats of previous days。 They landed on a shelving
beach； and the two employers lay in collapse in the boat； while Kit and
Shorty pitched the tent； built a fire； and started the cooking。
〃What's a hog…walloping snooper； Shorty？〃 Kit asked。
〃Blamed if I know；〃 was the answer； 〃but he's one just the same。〃
The gale； which had been dying quickly； ceased at nightfall； and it
came on clear and cold。 A cup of coffee； set aside to cool and forgotten；
a few minutes later was found coated with half an inch of ice。 At eight
o'clock； when Sprague and Stine； already rolled in their blankets； were
sleeping the sleep of exhaustion； Kit came back from a look at the boat。
〃It's the freeze…up； Shorty；〃 he announced。 〃There's a skin of ice over
the whole pond already。〃
〃What are you going to do？〃
〃There's only one thing。 The lake of course freezes first。 The rapid
current of the river may keep it open for days。 This time to… morrow any
boat caught in Lake Le Barge remains there until next year。〃
〃You mean we got to get out to…night？ Now？〃
Kit nodded。
〃Tumble out； you sleepers！〃 was Shorty's answer； couched in a roar； as
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he began casting off the guy…ropes of the tent。
The other two awoke； groaning with the pain of stiffened muscles and
the pain of rousing from exhausted sleep。
〃What time is it？〃 Stine asked。
〃Half…past eight。〃
〃It's dark yet；〃 was the objection。
Shorty jerked out a couple of guy…ropes； and the tent began to sag。
〃It's not morning；〃 he said。 〃It's evening。 Come on。 The lake's
freezin'。 We got to get acrost。〃
Stine sat up； his face bitter and wrathful。
〃Let it freeze。 We're not going to stir。〃
〃All right；〃 said Shorty。 〃We're goin' on with the boat。〃
〃You were engaged〃
〃To take you to Dawson；〃 Shorty caught him up。 〃Well； we're takin'
you； ain't we？〃
He punctuated his query by bringing half the tent down on top of
them。
They broke their way through the thin ice in the little harbour； and
came out on the lake； where the water； heavy and glassy； froze on their
oars with every stroke。 The water soon became like mush； clogging the
stroke of the oars and freezing in the air even as it dripped。 Later the
surface began to form a skin； and the boat proceeded slower and slower。
Often； afterwards； when Kit tried to remember that night and failed to
bring up aught but nightmare recollections； he wondered what must have
been the sufferings of Stine and Sprague。 His one impression of himself
was that he struggled through biting frost and intolerable exertion for a
thousand years more or less。
Morning found them stationary。 Stine complained of frosted fingers；
and Sprague of his nose； while the pain in Kit's cheeks and nose told him
that he； too； had been touched。 With each accretion of daylight they
could see farther； and far as they could see was icy surface。 The water of
the lake was gone。 A hundred yards away was the shore of the north end。
Shorty insisted that it was the opening of the river and that he could see
water。 He and Kit alone were able to work； and with their oars they
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broke the ice and forced the boat along。 And at the last gasp of their
strength they made the suck of the rapid river。 One look back showed
them several boats which had fought through the night and were
hopelessly frozen in； then they whirled around a bend in a current running
six miles an hour。
VI。
Day by day they floated down the swift river； and day by day the
shore…ice extended farther out。 When they made camp at nightfall； they
chopped a space in the ice in which to lay the boat； and carried the camp
outfit hundreds of feet to shore。 In the morning； they chopped the boat
out through the new ice and caught the current。 Shorty set up the sheet…
iron stove in the boat； and over this Stine and Sprague hung through the
long； drifting hours。 They had surrendered； no longer gave orders； and
their one desire was to gain Dawson。 Shorty； pessimistic； indefatigable；
and joyous； at frequent intervals roared out the three lines of the first four…
line stanza of a song he had forgotten。 The colder it got the oftener he
sang：
〃Like Argus of the ancient times； We leave this Modern
Greece； Tum…tum； tum…tum； tum…tum； tum…tum； To shear
the Golden Fleece。〃
As they passed the mouths of the Hootalinqua and the Big and Little
Salmon； they found these streams throwing mush…ice into the main Yukon。
This gathered about the boat and attached itself； and at night they found
themselves compelled to chop the boat out of the current。 In the morning
they chopped the boat back into the current。
The last night ashore was spent between the mouths of the White River
and the Stewart。 At daylight they found the Yukon； half a mile wide；
running white from ice…rimmed bank to ice…rimmed bank。 Shorty cursed
the universe with less geniality than usual； and looked at Kit。
〃We'll be the last boat this year to make Dawson；〃 Kit said。
〃But they ain't no water； Smoke。〃
〃Then we'll ride the ice down。 Come on。〃
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Futilely protesting； Sprague and Stine were bundled on board。 For
half an hour； with axes； Kit and Shorty struggled to cut a way into the
swift but solid stream。 When they did succeed in clearing the shore…ice；
the floating ice forced the boat along the edge for a hundred yards； tearing
away half of one gunwale and making a partial wreck of it。 Then they
caught the current at the lower end of the bend that flung off…shore。 They
proceeded to work farther toward the middle。 The stream was no longer
composed of mush…ice but of hard cakes。 In between the cakes only was
mush…ice； that froze solidly as they looked at it。 Shoving with the oars
against the cakes； sometimes climbing out on the cakes in order to force
the boat along； after an hour they gained the middle。 Five minutes after
they ceased their exertions； the boat was frozen in。 The whole river was
coagulating as it ran。 Cake froze to cake； until at last the boat was the
centre of a cake seventy…five feet in diameter。 Sometimes they floated
sidewise； sometimes stern…first； while gravity tore asunder the forming
fetters in the moving mass； only to be manacled by faster…forming ones。
While the hours passed； Shorty stoked the stove； cooked meals； and
chanted h