The company wished
him good luck and a short chase, while Father Roubeau, hurriedly
blessing him, led the stampede for the cabin; and small wonder,
for it is not good to face seventy-four degrees below zero with
naked ears and hands.
Malemute Kid saw him to the main trail, and there, gripping his
hand heartily, gave him advice.
'You'll find a hundred pounds of salmon eggs on the sled,' he
said. 'The dogs will go as far on that as with one hundred and
fifty of fish, and you can't get dog food at Pelly, as you
probably expected.' The stranger started, and his eyes flashed,
but he did not interrupt. 'You can't get an ounce of food for dog
or man till you reach Five Fingers, and that's a stiff two
hundred miles. Watch out for open water on the Thirty Mile River,
and be sure you take the big cutoff above Le Barge.' 'How did you
know it? Surely the news can't be ahead of me already?' 'I don't
know it; and what's more, I don't want to know it. But you never
owned that team you're chasing. Sitka Charley sold it to them
last spring. But he sized you up to me as square once, and I
believe him. I've seen your face; I like it. And I've seen--why,
damn you, hit the high places for salt water and that wife of
yours, and--' Here the Kid unmittened and jerked out his sack.
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