William Byron Mowery

“ Gaspard yelled, grimacing.
Marling did not move or answer. Gaspard worked the sled to the left as much as he dared and watched for other leads. They were getting close enough to see the fish stage in Seelig's cove and the red roof of his cabin set down in a thicket of Bankian Pine.
"I think we're clear of t' leads, doctor," Gaspard added, as the hummocks of the other shore came near.
Still no answer from Marling. moved nearer and looked at him.
"Holy Moses!" he snorted. "Scared plumb out'n his senses. He's a great 'un, he is!" ”

“ Gaspard rose carefully to his knees and watched ahead. Before many minutes another lead, a wider one, appeared. It was a good foot across. Anxiously he watched it swim near. The komatik took it, but the front end, under the doctor's weight, ducked uncomfortably. If the lead had been a foot wider, the runners would have snagged and plunged the sled head-first through the ice.
Gaspard inched forward on the sled. "Marling!" he spoke sharply. The doctor looked around fearfully. "Take it easy," Gaspard cautioned, "but move back 'bout three feet on t' komatik. Don't jiggle t' thing, but hurry up. ”

“ Gaspard snapped, the tug of the line jerking the words from him. "Lay down flatest youse can an' don't move."
"Why, what is the trouble, Ellis?"
"We're on thin ice. Ever' time youse move, t' komatik buckles. Get down."
Marling turned a white face to the livyere. "Thin ice? You mean there is danger of us going through?”
Gaspard answered slowly, unconcernedly. "Not much danger, skippin' along this fast. But they's no stoppin' or slowin' up till we get across." ”

“ They all seemed to think that the big snarling huskies were man-eaters.
"They do," the livyere returned, "but they jest et two Nascaupee Injuns a few minutes ago, an' they ain't hungry any more."
"My word!" the newcomer ejaculated, shying away from the huskies and getting close to the three livyere trappers. They were leaning against a fish stage, watching the little steamer in the cove throw out ice-grapnels.
The genuine fright of the individual who had just come across the ice from the ship, made the tall livyere snap his braided whip at his huskies to keep them back. ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1957, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 66 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”