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Who Has Won to Mastership
Itwasnolightrunningnow,norrecordtime,butheavytoileachday,withaheavyloadbehind; forthiswasthemailtrain,carryingwordfromtheworldtothemenwhosoughtgoldundertheshadowofthePole.
Buckdidnotlikeit,butheboreupwelltothework,takingprideinitafterthemannerofDaveandSol-leks,andseeingthathismates,whethertheypridedinitornot,didtheirfairshare. Itwasamonotonouslife,operatingwithmachine-likeregularity. Onedaywasverylikeanother. Atacertaintimeeachmorningthecooksturnedout,fireswerebuilt,andbreakfastwaseaten. Then,whilesomebrokecamp,othersharnessedthedogs,andtheywereunderwayanhourorsobeforethedarknessfellwhichgavewarningofdawn. Atnight,campwasmade. Somepitchedtheflies,otherscutfirewoodandpineboughsforthebeds,andstillotherscarriedwateroriceforthecooks. Also,thedogswerefed. Tothem,thiswastheonefeatureoftheday,thoughitwasgoodtoloafaround,afterthefishwaseaten,foranhourorsowiththeotherdogs,ofwhichtherewerefivescoreandodd. Therewerefiercefightersamongthem,butthreebattleswiththefiercestbroughtBucktomastery,sothatwhenhebristledandshowedhisteeththeygotoutofhisway.
Bestofall,perhaps,helovedtolienearthefire,hindlegscrouchedunderhim,forelegsstretchedoutinfront,headraised,andeyesblinkingdreamilyattheflames.
