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The Dominant Primordial Beast
Dubwasbadlyinjuredinahindleg;Dolly,thelasthuskyaddedtotheteamatDyea,hadabadlytornthroat;Joehadlostaneye;whileBillee,thegood-natured,withanearchewedandrenttoribbons,criedandwhimperedthroughoutthenight. Atdaybreaktheylimpedwarilybacktocamp,tofindthemaraudersgoneandthetwomeninbadtempers. Fullyhalftheirgrubsupplywasgone. Thehuskieshadchewedthroughthesledlashingsandcanvascoverings. Infact,nothing,nomatterhowremotelyeatable,hadescapedthem. TheyhadeatenapairofPerrault’smoose-hidemoccasins,chunksoutoftheleathertraces,andeventwofeetoflashfromtheendofFrancois’swhip. Hebrokefromamournfulcontemplationofittolookoverhiswoundeddogs.
"Ah,myfrien’s,"hesaidsoftly,"mebbeitmekyoumaddog,dosemanybites. Mebbeallmaddog,sacredam! Wotyout’ink,eh,Perrault?"
Thecouriershookhisheaddubiously. WithfourhundredmilesoftrailstillbetweenhimandDawson,hecouldillaffordtohavemadnessbreakoutamonghisdogs. Twohoursofcursingandexertiongottheharnessesintoshape,andthewound-stiffenedteamwasunderway,strugglingpainfullyoverthehardestpartofthetrailtheyhadyetencountered,andforthatmatter,thehardestbetweenthemandDawson.
TheThirtyMileRiverwaswideopen. Itswildwaterdefiedthefrost,anditwasintheeddiesonlyandinthequietplacesthattheiceheldatall. Sixdaysofexhaustingtoilwererequiredtocoverthosethirtyterriblemiles.
