The Toil of Trace and Trail

           ThirtydaysfromthetimeitleftDawson,theSaltWaterMail,withBuckandhismatesatthefore,arrivedatSkaguay. Theywereinawretchedstate,wornoutandworndown. Buck’sonehundredandfortypoundshaddwindledtoonehundredandfifteen. Therestofhismates,thoughlighterdogs,hadrelativelylostmoreweightthanhe. Pike,themalingerer,who,inhislifetimeofdeceit,hadoftensuccessfullyfeignedahurtleg,wasnowlimpinginearnest. Sol-lekswaslimping,andDubwassufferingfromawrenchedshoulder-blade. 

           Theywereallterriblyfootsore.Nospringorreboundwasleftinthem.Theirfeetfellheavilyonthetrail,jarringtheirbodiesanddoublingthefatigueofaday’stravel. Therewasnothingthematterwiththemexceptthattheyweredeadtired. Itwasnotthedead-tirednessthatcomesthroughbriefandexcessiveeffort,fromwhichrecoveryisamatterofhours; butitwasthedead-tirednessthatcomesthroughtheslowandprolongedstrengthdrainageofmonthsoftoil. Therewasnopowerofrecuperationleft,noreservestrengthtocallupon. Ithadbeenallused,thelastleastbitofit. Everymuscle,everyfibre,everycell,wastired,deadtired. Andtherewasreasonforit. Inlessthanfivemonthstheyhadtravelledtwenty-fivehundredmiles,duringthelasteighteenhundredofwhichtheyhadhadbutfivedays’rest. WhentheyarrivedatSkaguaytheywereapparentlyontheirlastlegs.