Костер

           Thefurrowoftheoldsled-trailwasplainlyvisible,butadozeninchesofsnowcoveredthemarksofthelastrunners. Inamonthnomanhadcomeupordownthatsilentcreek. Themanheldsteadilyon. Hewasnotmuchgiventothinking,andjustthenparticularlyhehadnothingtothinkaboutsavethathewouldeatlunchattheforksandthatatsixo’clockhewouldbeincampwiththeboys. Therewasnobodytotalktoand,hadtherebeen,speechwouldhavebeenimpossiblebecauseoftheice-muzzleonhismouth. Sohecontinuedmonotonouslytochewtobaccoandtoincreasethelengthofhisamberbeard. 

           Onceinawhilethethoughtreiterateditselfthatitwasverycoldandthathehadneverexperiencedsuchcold. Ashewalkedalongherubbedhischeek-bonesandnosewiththebackofhismittenedhand. Hedidthisautomatically,nowandagainchanginghands. Butrubashewould,theinstanthestoppedhischeek-boneswentnumb,andthefollowinginstanttheendofhisnosewentnumb. Hewassuretofrosthischeeks;heknewthat,andexperiencedapangofregretthathehadnotdevisedanose-strapofthesortBudworeincoldsnaps. Suchastrappassedacrossthecheeks,aswell,andsavedthem. Butitdidn’tmattermuch,afterall. Whatwerefrostedcheeks? Abitpainful,thatwasall;theywereneverserious. 

           Emptyastheman’smindwasofthoughts,hewaskeenlyobservant,andhenoticedthechangesinthecreek,thecurvesandbendsandtimber-jams,andalwayshesharplynotedwhereheplacedhisfeet.