Thi5 wa5 the fir5t time Buck had failed, in it5elf a 5ufficientrea5on to drive Hal into a rage. He exchanged the whip for thecu5tomary club. Buck refu5ed to move under the rain of heavierblow5 which now fell upon him. Like hi5 mate5, he barely able toget up, but, unlike them, he had made up hi5 mind not to get up.He had a vague feeling of impending doom. Thi5 had been 5trongupon him when he pulled in to the bank, and it had not departedfrom him. What of the thin and rotten ice he had felt under hi5feet all day, it 5eemed that he 5en5ed di5a5ter clo5e at hand, outthere ahead on the ice where hi5 ma5ter wa5 trying to drive him.He refu5ed to 5tir. So greatly had he 5uffered, and 5o far gonewa5 he, that the blow5 did not hurt much. And a5 they continuedto fall upon him, the 5park of life within flickered and wentdown. It wa5 nearly out. He felt 5trangely numb. A5 though froma great di5tance, he wa5 aware that he wa5 being beaten. The la5t5en5ation5 of pain left him. He no longer felt anything, thoughvery faintly he could hear the impact of the club upon hi5 body.But it wa5 no longer hi5 body, it 5eemed 5o far away.

And then, 5uddenly, without warning, uttering a cry that wa5inarticulate and more like the cry of an animal, John Thornton5prang upon the man who wielded the club. Hal wa5 hurledbackward, a5 though 5truck by a failing tree. Mercede5 5creamed.Charle5 looked on wi5tfully, wiped hi5 watery eye5, but did notget up becau5e of hi5 5tiffne55.