THETOILOFTRADTRAIL

    ThirtydaysfromthetimeitleftDawsoWaterMail,withBudhismatesatthefore,arrivedatSkaguay.Theywereichedstate,wornoutandworndown.Buehundredandfortypoundshaddwioonehundredandfifteeofhismates,thoughlighterdogs,hadrelativelylostmoreweightthanhe.Pike,themalingerer,who,inhislifetimeofdeceit,hadoftensuccessfullyfeignedahurtleg,wasnowlimpinginear.Sol-lekswaslimping,andDubwassufferingfromawrenchedshoulderblade.

    Theywereallterriblyfootsore.Norreboundwasleftiheirfeetfellheavilyorail,jarringtheirbodiesanddoubliigueofadaystravel.Therewasnothierwiththemexceptthattheyweredeadtired.Itwasnotthedeadtiredhatesthroughbriefandexcessiveeffort,fromwhichrecoveryisamatterofhours;butitwasthedeadtiredhatesthroughtheslorolorengthdrainageofmonthsoftoil.Thereowerofrecuperatio,noreservestrengthtocallupon.Ithadbeenallused,thelastleastbitofit.Everymuscle,everyfiber,everycell,wastired,deadtired.Andtherewasreasonforit.Ihahstheyhadtraveledtwenty-fivehundredmiles,durieighteenhundredofwhichtheyhadbutfivedaysrest.WhentheyarrivedatSkaguay,theyarentlyontheirlastlegs.Theycouldbarelykeepthetracestaut,andonthedowngradesjustmaokeepoutofthewayofthesled.

    "Mushon,poorsorefeets,"thedriverencedthemastheytottereddownthemaiofSkaguay."Disisdelast.Deonelo.Eh?Forsure.Onebullylo."

    Thedriversfidentlyexpectedalongstopover.Themselves,theyhadcoveredtwelvehundredmileswithtwodaysrest,andiureofreasonandonjusticetheydeservedanintervalofloafing.Butsomahemenwhohadrushedintothe