Edison Marshall

“ In the first place, Morgan hardly made a track, so hard was the frozen snow. The trapper could see the black body many times a day only a little way ahead of him. Northward went the fox and northward his pursuer.
The man's food supply was nearly gone, and he began to kill the dogs. They looked pleadingly at him, as he pointed his rifle at them. He wondered if he only imagined the look of appeal in their eyes, for why should a creature be afraid of death in that land of cold and misery?
Death was nothing to be dreaded by Hargraves, but he could not die until he had Morgan's skin. ”

“ But Hargraves was not discouraged; he could still see the black form of his prey. The next day the fox gained still more, and might have escaped, had not the snow softened a little in the afternoon, so that his tracks grew distinct again. By the following day Hargraves had gained what he had lost.
His dreams were more unpleasant. He always saw himself an old, old man, with bald head and white hair and wasted, stringy legs. His teeth were gone, and he could not eat. And Morgan still led him on!
"I am an old man," he heard himself say as he was awakening. "I have killed youth in the chase!" ”

“ When he had to kill another dog the animal's eyes were pleading, and again Hargraves found it bard to shoot. The other malemutes leaped forward when the report came, and snarled as the blood poured warm and wet upon the snow. The trapper forced them back until he had quartered the body with his ax.
"Happiness is a harder sacrifice than youth," he said to the other dogs. ”

“ The northern lights shot their joyous bands across the sky in front of him.
"I'll name you before you go," he said drunkenly. "I'll call you happiness; for after youth, happiness is the next sacrifice." ”

“ You don't want to draw the sled forever, do you? There!"
He fired, and the sound startled him. It was the first time he had discharged the gun since the night in his cabin. There was no echo, and Hargraves looked about, frightened. The dog was dying at his feet.
"You must be youth!" he said to the gasping animal. "And I have killed youth!"
IV He brought himself together with a jerk. He must keep better self-control—but the eternal silence, the endless chase, were enough to madden any one. If he lost complete control of himself the fox would evade him, and he had to have the skin. ”

“ Why not harness the dogs, and track the beast down as he would a man? He had ample supplies, and there was little danger of fresh snow covering the tracks so late in winter. Of course, there were other dangers, but every game in the north was full of them.
That almost priceless skin was worth almost any chance. It was even better to die than to go back without it! He spoke again, but his words were no longer wild.
"I'll do it!" he told the malemutes. "We'll follow him down—over the hill, out of the valley. It's worth while as a last, long chance. ”