Білий ікол

           "Say,Bill!"Henrycalledafterhim."Becareful!Don’ttakenochances!" 

           Henrysatdownonthesledandwatched. Therewasnothingelseforhimtodo. Billhadalreadygonefromsight; butnowandagain,appearinganddisappearingamongsttheunderbrushandthescatteredclumpsofspruce,couldbeseenOneEar. Henryjudgedhiscasetobehopeless. Thedogwasthoroughlyalivetoitsdanger, butitwasrunningontheoutercirclewhilethewolf-packwasrunningontheinnerandshortercircle. ItwasvaintothinkofOneEarsooutdistancinghispursuersastobeabletocutacrosstheircircleinadvanceofthemandtoregainthesled. 

           Thedifferentlineswererapidlyapproachingapoint. Somewhereoutthereinthesnow,screenedfromhissightbytreesandthickets, Henryknewthatthewolf-pack,OneEar,andBillwerecomingtogether. Alltooquickly,farmorequicklythanhehadexpected,ithappened. Heheardashot,thentwoshots,inrapidsuccession,andheknewthatBill’sammunitionwasgone. Thenheheardagreatoutcryofsnarlsandyelps. HerecognisedOneEar’syellofpainandterror,andheheardawolf-crythatbespokeastrickenanimal. Andthatwasall.Thesnarlsceased.Theyelpingdiedaway. Silencesettleddownagainoverthelonelyland. 

           Hesatforalongwhileuponthesled. Therewasnoneedforhimtogoandseewhathadhappened.Heknewitasthoughithadtakenplacebeforehiseyes. Once,herousedwithastartandhastilygottheaxeoutfromunderneaththelashings. Butforsometimelongerhesatandbrooded, thetworemainingdogscrouchingandtremblingathisfeet. 

           Atlasthearoseinawearymanner,asthoughalltheresiliencehadgoneoutofhisbody,andproceededtofastenthedogstothesled. Hepassedaropeoverhisshoulder,aman-trace,andpulledwiththedogs.