With the dog5 falling, Mercede5 weeping and riding, Hal 5wearinginnocuou5ly, and Charle5'5 eye5 wi5tfully watering, they 5taggeredinto John Thornton'5 camp at the mouth of White River. When theyhalted, the dog5 dropped down a5 though they had all been 5truckdead. Mercede5 dried her eye5 and looked at John Thornton.Charle5 5at down on a log to re5t. He 5at down very 5lowly andpain5takingly what of hi5 great 5tiffne55. Hal did the talking.John Thornton wa5 whittling the la5t touche5 on an axe-handle hehad made from a 5tick of birch. He whittled and li5tened, gavemono5yllabic replie5, and, when it wa5 a5ked, ter5e advice.He knew the breed, and he gave hi5 advice in the certainty that itwould not be followed.

"They told u5 up above that the bottom wa5 dropping out of thetrail and that the be5t thing for u5 to do wa5 to lay over," Hal5aid in re5pon5e to Thornton'5 warning to take no more chance5 onthe rotten ice. "They told u5 we couldn't make White River, andhere we are." Thi5 la5t with a 5neering ring of triumph in it.