Latest / Last of the Plainsmen / 10 - Last of the Plainsmen by Zane Grey

Transcript

10 - Last of the Plainsmen by Zane Grey · Last of the Plainsmen

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: The land of the musk ox a far cry. It
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: was from bright June at Port Chipewayan to dim October
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: on Great Slave Lake. Two long, laborious months, Ray and
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: Jones threaded the crooked shores of the Great Inland Sea
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: to halt at the extreme northern end, where a plunging
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: outlet formed the source of a river. Here they found
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: a stone chimney and fireplace, standing among the darkened, decayed
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: ruins of a cabin. We mustn't lose no time, said Rea.
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: I feel the winter and the wind, and see how
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: dark the days are getting on us up front and muskoxen,
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: replied Jones. Man, we're facin the northern night. We're in
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: the land of the midnight sun. Soon will be shut
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: in for seven months. A cabin. We want wood and meat.
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: A forest of stunded spruce trees edged on the lake,
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: and soon its dreary solitudes rang to the strokes of axes.
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: The trees were small and uniform in size. Black stumps
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: protruded here and there from the ground, showing work of
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: this steel in time gone by. Jones observed that the
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: living trees were no larger in diameter than the stumps
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: and questioned Rea in regard to the difference in age
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: cut twenty five maybe fifty years ago, said the trapper.
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: But the living trees are no bigger trees, and things
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: don't grow fast in Northland. They erected a fifteen foot cabin,
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: round stone chimney, roofted with poles and branches of spruce
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: and a layer of sand. In digging into the fireplace,
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: Jones unearthed the rusty file and the head of a
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: whiskey keg, upon which was a sunken word in unintelligible letters,
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: We've found a place Cindria. Franklin built a camp Innier
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: in eighteen nineteen, and in eighteen thirty three Captain Back
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: wintered here when he was in search of Captain Ross
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: of the vessel Fury. It was those exploring parties that
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: cut the trees. I seen the Indian sign out there
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: made last winter I reckon, But Indian never cut down
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: no trees. Letters completed. The cabin piled cords of firewood outside,
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: stowed away the kegs of dried fish and fruits, the
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: sacks and flour, boxes of crackers, canned meats and vegetables, sugar, salt, coffee,
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: tobacco all the cargo. Then took the boat apart and
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: carried it up the bank, which labor took them less
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: than a week. Jones found sleeping in the cabin, despite
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: the fire, uncomfortably cold because of the white chinks between
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: the logs. It was hardly better than sleeping under the
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: swaying spruces. When he essayed to stop up the cracks,
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: a task by no means easy considering the lack of material,
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: Ray lapped his short oh ho, and stopped him with
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: the word wait. Every morning, the green ice extended further
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: out into the lake. The sun paled dim and dimmer,
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: the nights grew colder. On a tilbre eighth, the thermometer
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: registered several degrees below zero. Fell a little more the
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: next night and continued to fall. Oh ho, cried Ray.
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: She struck the toboggan, and presently she commenced to slide.
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: Come on, buff, we've worked to do. He caught up
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: a bucket made for their hole in the ice, rebroke
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: a six inch layer the frieze of a few hours,
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: and filling his bucket, returned to the cabin. Jones had
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: no inkling of the trapper's intention and wonderingly. He soused
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: his bucket full of water and followed. By the time
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: he had reached the cabin a matter of some thirty
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: or forty good paces, the water no longer splashed from
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: his bail, for a thin filmed ice prevented. Rhea stood
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: fifteen feet from the cabin, his back to the wind,
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: and through the water. Some of it froze in the air,
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: most of it froze on the logs. The simple plan
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: of the trapper to encase the cabin with ice was
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: easily divined. All day, the men worked ceasing only when
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: the cabin resembled a glistening mound. It had not a
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: sharp corner nor crevice. Inside, it was warm and snug,
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: and as light as when the chinks were open. A
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: slight moderation of the weather brought the snow such snow,
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: a blinding white flutter of great flake as large as feathers.
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: All day they rustled softly. All night they swirled, sweeping, sweeping, seeping,
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: brushing against the cabin. Oh Ho, roared, ray, tis good,
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: Let her snow, and the reindeer will migrate, will have
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: fresh meat. The sun shone again, but not brightly. A
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: nipping wind cut down on the frigid north and crusted
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: the snow. The third night following the storm, when the
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: hunters lay snug under their blankets, a commotion outside aroused them.
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: Indians said, ray, come north for reindeer. Half the night
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: shouting and yelling, barking of dogs, hauling of sledge, and
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: cracking of dried skin teepees murdered sleep for those in
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: the cabin. In the morning, the level plain and edge
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: of the forest held the Indian village. Caribou hides strong
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: on forked poles, constituted tent like habitations, and no distinguishable doors.
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: Fires smoked in holes in the snow. Not till late
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: in the day did any life manifest itself round to
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: tree pees and then a group of children, poorly clad
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: in ragged pieces of blankets skins, gaped to Jones. He
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: saw their pinched brown faces, staring hungry eyes, naked legs
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: and throats, and noted particularly their dwarfy sighs. When he spoke,
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: they fled precipiously a little way, then turned. He called again,
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: and all ranix oft. One small lad. Jones went into
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: the cabin and came out with a handful of sugar
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: and square lumps illow knife Indians, said Ray, a starved tribe.
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: We're in for it. Jones made motions to the lad,
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: but he remained still, as if transfixed, and his black
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: eyes stared wonderingly. Molernassus white man good, said Ray. The
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: lad came out of his trance and looked back at
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: his companions, who edged nearer. Jones ate a lump of sugar,
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: then handed one to the little Indian. He took it gingerly,
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: put it in his mouth, and immediately jumped up and down.
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: Hope Shimpipoli, Hope shimpepolyi, he shouted to his brothers and sisters.
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: They came on the run. Think ye means sweet salt,
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: interpreted Ray. Of course these beggars never tasted sugar. A
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: band of youngsters trooped round Jones, and, after tasting the
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: white lumps, shrieked in such delight that the braves and
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: squaw shuffled out of the tree Peas in all his days,
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: Jones had never seen such miserable Indians. Dirty blankets hid
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: all their person except straggling black hair, hungry wolfish eyes,
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: and moccasin's feet. They crowded into the path before the
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: cabin door. Mumbled and stared and waited. No dignity, no brightness,
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: no suggestion of friendliness marked this peculiar attitude. Starved, exclaimed Ray.
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: They've come to the lake to invoke the great spirit
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: to send the reindeer buff Whatever you do, don't feed them.
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: If you do, we'll have them on our hands all winter.
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: It's cruel. But man were in the north. Notwithstanding the
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: practical trappers admonations, Jones could not resist the pleading of
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: the children. He could not stand by and see them starve.
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: After ascertaining there was absolutely nothing to eat in the teapees,
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: he invited o little ones into the cabin and made
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: a great pot of soup, into which he dropped compressed biscuits.
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: The savage children were like wildcats. Jones had to call
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: Rea to assist him in keeping the famished little aborigines
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: from tearing each other to pieces. When finally they were
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: all fed, they had to be driven out of the cabin.
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: That's new to me, said Jones, Poor little beggars. Ray
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: doubtfully shook his shaggy head. Next day, Jones traded with
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: the yellow knives. He had a good supply of bubbles,
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: Besides blankets, gloves, and boxes of canned goods which he
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: had brought for such trading, he secured a dozen of
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: the large boned white and black Indian dogs huskies. Ray
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: called him two long sledge with hardnesses, and several pairs
• 8:03
  Speaker 1: of snow shoes. This trade made Jones rub his hands
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: in satisfaction, for during all the long journey north, he
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: had failed to barter for such cardinal necessities to the
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: success of his venture, but have doled out the grub
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: to them, and rations grumbled Ray twenty four hours sufficed
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: to show Jones the wisdom of the trapper's words, for
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: in just that time the crazed, ignorant savages had gutted
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: the generous store of food which should have lasted them
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: for weeks. The next day they were begging at the
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: cabin door. Ray cursed and threatened them with his fists,
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: but they returned again and again. Days passed. All the
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: time in light and dark. The Indians filled the air
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: with dismal chant and dolefold incarnations to the Great Spirit
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: and a tom tuntumb of the tom toms, a specific
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: feature of their wild prayer for food. But the white
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: monotony of the rolling land and the level lake remained unbroken.
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: The reindeer did not come. The days became shorter, dimmered darker.
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: The mercury kept on the slide forty degrees below zero
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: did not trouble the Indians. They stamped till they dropped,
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: then sang till their voices vanished, and beat the tom
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: toms everlastingly. Jones fed the children once each day, against
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: the trapper's advice. One day, while Maraya was absent, a
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: dozen braves succeeded in forcing an entrance and clamored so
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: fiercely and threatened so desperately that Jones was on the
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: point of giving them food when the door opened to
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: admit Raya. With a glance, he saw the situation. He
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: dropped the bucket he carried through the door wide open,
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: and commenced action. Because of his great bulk, he seemed slow,
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: but every blow of his slidge hammer fist knocked a
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: brave against the wall or through the door into the snow.
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: When he could reach two savages at once by way
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: of diversion, he swung their heads together with a crack.
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: They dropped like sacks of corn, pitching them out into
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: the snow. In two minutes the cabin was clear. He
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: banged the door and slipped the bar in place. Buff
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: I'm going to get mad at these even redskins someday,
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: he said gruffly. The expanse of his chest heaved slightly,
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: like the slow swell of a calm motion, but there
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: was no other indication of unusual exertion. Jones laughed and
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: again gave thanks for the comradeship of this strange man.
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: Shortly afterward, he went out for wood, and as usual,
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: scanned the expanse of the lake. The sun shone, mistier
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: and morainer, and frost feathers floated in the air. Sky
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: and sun, and plaine and lake all were gray. Jones fancied.
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: He saw a distant moving mass of darker shade than
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: the gray background. He called the trapper Caribou, said Ray instantly,
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: the vanguard of the migration here the Indians here, the
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: cry atone atone they mean reindeer. The idiots have scared
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: the herd with their infernal racket, and no meat will
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: they get. The caribou will keep to the ice in
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: man Or. Indian can't stop them. There For a few moments,
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: his companion surveyed the lake in shore with the plainsman's eye,
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: then dashed within to reappear with a winchester in each
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: hand through the crowd of bewailing, bemoaning Indians. He sped
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: to the low, dying bank. The hard crust of snow
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: upheld him. The gray cloud was a thousand yards out
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: upon the lake and moving southeast. If the cariboo did
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: not swerve from this course, they would pass close to
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: a projecting point of land a half mile up the lake. So,
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: keeping a wary eye upon them, the hunter ran swiftly.
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: He had not hunted antelope and buffalo on the plains
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: all his life without learning how to approach moving game.
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: As long as the caribou were in action, they could
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: not tell whether he moved or was motionless. In order
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: to tell if an object was inanimate or not, they
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: must stop to see of which fact. The keen hunter
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: took advantage. Suddenly he saw the gray mass slow down
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: and bunch up. He stopped running to stand like a stump.
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: When the reindeer moved again, he moved, And when they
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: slackened again, he stopped and became motionless. As they kept
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: to their course, he worked gradually closer and closer. Soon
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: he distinguished gray bobbing heads. When the leader showed signs
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: of halting in his slow trot, the hunter again became
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: a statue. He saw they were easy to deceive, and, daringly,
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: confident of success, encroached on the ice and closed up
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: the gap till not more than two hundred yards separated
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: him from the gray bobbing handlered mass. Jones dropped to
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: one knee a moment, only his eyes lingered admiringly on
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: the wild and beautiful spectacle. Then he swept one of
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: the rifles to a level old habit made the little
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: beaded sight cover. First the stately leader bang, the gray
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: monarch leaped straightforward or hoofs up, andered his head back
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: to fall dead with a crash. Then for a few
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: moments the winchester spat a deadly stream of fire, and
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: when emptied, was thrown down for the other gun, which,
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: in the steady, sure hands of the hunter, belched death
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: to the cariboo. The herd rushed on, leaving the white
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: surface of the lake gray with a struggling, kicking, bellowing heap.
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: When Jones reached the cariboo, he saw several young ones
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: trying to rise on crippled legs with his knife. He
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: killed these, not without some hazard to himself. Most of
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: the fallen ones Roberty dead, and the others soon lay
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: still beautiful gray creatures. They were almost white, with wide
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: reaching symmetrical horns. A medley of yells arose from the shore,
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: and Ray appeared running with two sleds, with the whole
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: tribe of yellow knives pouring out of the forest behind him. Buff,
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: you're just what old Jim said you was, thundered Ray
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: as he surveyed the gray pile. Here's winter meat. An
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: I'd have not given a biscuit for all the meat.
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: I thought you'd get thirty shots in less than thirty seconds,
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: said Jones. And I'll bet every ball a sent touched
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: hair comny reindeer twenty twenty Buff, or I'll forget how
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: to count. I guess maybe you can't handle them shootin' arms.
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: Here comes the howlin redskins. Ray whipped out his bowie
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: knife and began disemboweling the reindeer. He had not proceeded
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: far in his task when the crazed savages were around him.
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: Everyone carried a basket or receptacle, which he swung aloft,
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: and they sang, prayed, rejoiced on their knees. Jones turned
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: away from the sickening scenes that convinced him these savages
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: were a little better than cannibals. Ray cursed them and
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: tumbled them over and threatened them with the big bowie.
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: An altercation ensued. Heated on his side, frenzied on theirs.
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: Thinking some treachery might befall his comrades, Jones ran into
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: the thick of the group. Share with him, Ray, Share
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: with him, whereupon the giant hauled out ten smoking carcasses,
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: bursting into a babble of savage glee and tumbling over
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: one another. The Indians pulled the caribou to the shore,
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: leaving fools, growled Ray, wiping the sweat from his brow,
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: soid they'd prevailed on the Great Spirit to send the reindeer.
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: Why they'd never smelled warm meat, But for you, now, Buff,
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: they'll gorge every hair, hide and hoof of their share
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: in less than a week. That's the last we'd do
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: for the damned cannibals. Didn't you see them eating of
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: the ram innerds. Yeah, I'm calculating we'll see no more reindeer.
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: It's late in the migration. The big herd is driven southward.
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: But we're lucky thanks to your prairie training. Come on
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: now with the sleds or we'll have a pack of
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: wolves to fight. By loading three reindeer on each sled,
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: the hunters were not long in transporting them to the
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: cabin buff There ain't much doubt about them keeping nice
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: and cool, said Ray. They'll freeze and weakened skin when
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: we want. That night, the starved wolf dogs gorged themselves
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: till they could not rise from the snow. Likewise, the
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: yellow Knives feasted. How long the ten reindeer might have
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: served the wasteful tribe, Ray and Jones never found out.
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: Next day, two Indians arrived with dog trains, and they're
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: at was hailed with another feast and powwow that lasted
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: into the night. Guess we're going to get rid of
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: our blasted hungry neighbors, said Ray. Coming in next morning
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: with the water pail, and I'll be durned. But if
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: I don't believe them, crazy heathen have been told about
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: you the Indians was messengers. Grab your gun and we'll
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: walk over and see the old nines were breaking camp,
• 16:23
  Speaker 1: and the hunters were at once conscious of the difference
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: in their bearing. Ray addressed several braves, forgot no reply.
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: The lady's broad hand on the old wrinkle chief, who
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: repulsed him and turned his back with a growl. The
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: traffer spun the Indian around and spoke as many words
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: of the language as he knew. He got a cold response,
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: which ended in the ragged old chief starting up, stretching
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: a long dark arm northward and his eyes fixed in
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: fanatical subjection, and shouted Naza, Naza, Naza heathen. Ray shook
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: his gun in the faces of the messengers. It'll go
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: bad with you to come, Nazie, are any longer on
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: our trail? Come buff clear out before I get mad.
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: When they were once more in the cabin, Ray told
• 17:07
  Speaker 1: Jones that the messengers had been sent to warn the
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: Yellow Knives not to aid the white hunters in any way.
• 17:13
  Speaker 1: That night, the dogs were kept inside and the men
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: took turns in watching. Morning showed a broad trail southward,
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: and with the going of the Yellow Knives, the mercury
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: dropped to fifty and the long twilight winter night fell
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: so With this agreeable riddance and plenty of meat and
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: fuel to cheer them, the hunters sat down in their
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: snug cabin to wait many months for daylight. Those few
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: intervals when the wind did not blow were the only
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: times Ray and Jones got out of doors. To the
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: plainsmen new to the north, the dim gray world about
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: him was of exceeding interest. Out of the twilight shone
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: wan round, lustreless ring that Ray said was the sun.
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: Silence and desolation were heart numbing. Where are the wolves,
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: asked Jones of Ray, whoa can live on snow? They're
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: further south after Caribou, or further north after muskox. In
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: those few still intervals, Jones remained out as long as
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: he dared. With the mercury sinking to sixty degrees, he
• 18:12
  Speaker 1: turned from the wonder of the unreal, remote sun to
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: the marvel of the north Aurora borealis, ever present, ever changing,
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: ever beautiful, and he gazed in rapt attention. Poor lights,
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: said Ray, as if he were speaking of biscuits. You'll freeze.
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: It's getting cold. Cold. It became to the matter of
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: seventy degrees. Frost covered the walls of the cabin, and
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: the roof, except for over the fire. The reindeer were
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: hotter than iron, a knife or an axe. A steel
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: trap burned as if it had been heated in fire,
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: and stuck to the hand. The hunters experienced trouble in breathing.
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: The air hurt their lungs. The month's drag Rag grew
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: more silent day by day, and as he sat before
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: the fire, his wide shoulders sang lower and lower. Unaccustomed
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: to the waiting, the restraint, the Barrier of the North
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: worked on guns, sleds, harnesses till he felt he would
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: go mad. Then, to save his mind, he constructed a
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: windmill of caribou hides and pondered over it, trying to
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: invent to put into practical use an idea he had
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: once conceived. Hour after hour, he laid under his blankets,
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: unable to sleep, and listened to the north wind. Sometimes
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: Ray mumbled in his slumbers. Once his giant form started up,
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: and he muttered a woman's name. Shadows from the fire
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: flickered on the walls, visionary spectral shadows, cold and gray,
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: fitting the North. At such times, he longed with all
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: the power of his soul to be among those scenes.
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: Far southward, which he called home. For days, Ray never
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: spoke a word, only gazed into the fire, he ate
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: and slept. Jones, drifting far from his real self, feared
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: the strange mood of the trapper and sought to break it,
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: but without a bail. More and more he reproached himself
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: and singularly on the one fact that, as he did
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: not smoke himself, he had brought only a small store
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: of tobacco, Ray, inordinate and inveterate smoker, had puffed away
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: all the weed and clouds of white, then had relapsed
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: into gloom. End of chapter nine