Rex E. Beach

“ They undertook no exercise more violent than “seven-up,” while the wood-cutting fell as a curse upon those unfortunates who lost at the game. They giggled at Captain and the big whaler who, daily, snow or blow, hit the trail or wielded pick and shovel.
However, as the two maintained their practise, the camp grew to resent their industry, and, as is possible only in utterly idle communities, there sprang up a virulence totally out of proportion, and founded without reason, most difficult to dispel. ”

“ They grappled and fell, rolling in a tangle of rope, Klusky fighting with ratlike fury, whining odd, broken curses. The larger man crushed him in silence, beating him into the snow, bent on killing him with his hands. ”

“ There's a Siwash in your cabin,” said Captain. “What is he doing there?”
“Dat's all right,” rejoined Klusky. “I told him to stay and vatch things.”
“Rather strange,” thought the other. “I wonder what there is to watch. There's never been any stealing around here.”
To the unversed, a march by sled would seem simplicity. In reality there is no more discouraging test than to hit the trail, dogless and by strength of back. The human biped can not drag across the snow for any distance more than its own weight; hence equipment is of the simplest. ”

“ You couldn't haul your outfit alone, an' long before you'd sledded grub back I'd be wearin' one of them gleamin' orioles—I believe that's what they call it—on my head, like the pictures of them little, fat angelettes. I ain't got no ear for music, so I'll have to cut out the harp solos.”
“Quit that talk, will you?” said Captain irritably. “Of course, one man can't haul an outfit that far, but two can, so I'm going to take Klusky with me.” He spoke with finality, and the Jew started, gazing queerly. “We'll go light, and drive back a herd of reindeer.” ”

“ Had they been forced to winter in the mountains of Idaho, or among Montana's passes, they would have prepared simply and effectively. Here, however, in a mystic land, surrounded by the unknown, they grew panic-stricken and lost their wits. ”

“ Captain said it with decision, though his heart sank as he felt the uncertainties before him.
George looked squarely into his eyes.
“God bless ye, boy!” he said. “I've cabined with many a man, but never one like you. I'm a hard old nut, an' I ain't worth what you're goin' to suffer, but mebbe you can save these other idiots. That's what we're put here for, to help those as is too ornery- to help theirselves.” He smiled at Captain, and the young man left him blindly. He seldom smiled, and to see it now made his partner's breast heave achingly.
II
“Good old George!” ”

“ George put by his work and swore, pacing the rough pole floor.
“Oh, the cussed fools! That makes six dead from the one cabin—six from eighteen, an' Promont 'll make seven to-morrow. Do ye mind how we begged 'em to quit that dugout an' build a white man's house, an' drink spruce tea, an' work? They're too damned lazy. They lie around in that hole, breathe bad air, an' rot.
“And just to think, if we only had a crate of potatoes in camp, we could save every man jack of 'em. ”