Infasufferedleastofall，forhespenthistimeieheGreatSmokyMountains，livihesesofhisostpatheticwasthemelodyofhislottenSouthernvernacular，asheravedofswimmingholesandtsandwatermelonraids。ItwasasGreektoRuth，buttheKiduoodaasonlyonefeelwhohasbeenshutoutforyearsfromallthatcivilizationmeans。
Mhtesstothestri，aeKidbechhiswhispers。
‘Yourememberwheheredoanana，fouryearsei?Ididn'tuchforherthen。Itwasmorelikesheretty，andtherewasasmaentaboutit，Ithink。ButI'veknoos;veetothinkaheapofher。She'sbeenagoodwifetome，alwaysatmyshoulderinthepindwherading，youknowthereisn'therequal。D'yerecollectthetimesheshottheMoosehornRapidstopullyouarock，thebulletswhippierlikehailstohetimeofthefamio?-wheheitthenews?’
Yes，she'sbeenagoodwifetome，better'nthatotherone。Didn'tknoos;dbeenthere?
&oldyou，eh?Well，ItrieditontheStates。That'sos;mhere。Beeher，too。Icameawaytogiveheracefotit。
‘Butthat'sgotnothingtodowithRuth。Ihadthoughtofgupandpullisideyear-herandI-butit'stoolate。Don'tseoherpeople，Kid。It'sbeastlyhardforawomantogobakofit!-nearlyfouryearsonourbadbeansandfloura，aogobacktoherfishandp;apos;snotgoodforhertohavetriedourways，toetoknoos;rebetter'nherpeople's，ahem。Takecareofher，Kidos;tyou-butno，youalwaysfoughtshyofthem-aoldmewhyyoucametothistry。Bekindtoher，aotheStatesassoonasyou。Butfixitsosheeback-liabletogethomesiow。’
‘Aer-it'sdrawnuscloser，Kid。Ioisaboy。Thinkofit!-fleshofmyflesh，Kid。Hemustn'tstopinthisdifit'sagirl，os;t。Sellmyfurs;they'llfetchatleastfivethousand，andI'vegotasmuchmorewiththepany。Aerestswithyours。Ithinkthatbenchclaimwillshowup。Seethathegetsagoodsg;andKid，aboveall，don'tlethimeback。Thistrywasemen。’
‘I'magoneman，Kid。Threeorfoursleepsatthebest。You'vegottogoon。Youmustgoo'smyos;smyboy-OGod!Ihopeit'saboy!You'tstaybyme-andIchargeyou，adyingman，topullon。’
&hreedays，'pleadedMalemuteKid。'Youmaygeforthebetter;somethingmayturnup。’
‘No。’
‘Justthreedays。’
‘Youmustpullon。’
‘T>
‘It'smywifeandmyboy，Kid。Youwouldnotaskit。’
‘Oneday。’
‘No，ne-’
‘Onlyoneday。Weshaveitthroughonthegrub，andImightknooose。’
‘Nht;onotaminutemore。And，Kid，don't-don'tleavemetofae。Justashot，onepuller。Youuhinkofit!Thinkofit!Fleshofmyflesh，andI'lloseehim!’
&hhere。Iwanttosaygood-byashemustthinkoftheboyandnotwaittillI'mdead。ShemightrefusetogowithyouifIdidn't。Goodby，oldman;good-by。’
‘Kid!Isay-a-sihepup，heslide。Ipafortyyshovelthere。’
‘And，Kid!'Hestoopedlowertocatchthelastfaintwords，thedyingman'ssurrenderofhispride。'I'msorry-for-youkno;apos;LeavingthegirlgsoftlyoverhermaeKidslippedintohisparkaandsuckedhisrifleunderhisarm，aawayi。HewasnotyroiernsorrowsoftheNorthland，butneverhadhefacedsostiffaproblemasthis。I，itlaiicalpropositionthreepossiblelivesasagainstoed。Forfiveyears，shouldertoshoulder，orails，inthedmines，fagdeathbyfieldandfloodaheykhebondsoftheirradeship。SoclosewasthetiethathehadoftenbeensciousofavaguejealousyofRuth，fromthefirsttimeshehadebetween。Andnowitmustbeseveredbyhiso>
Thoughheprayedforamoose，justonemoose，allgameseemedtohavedesertedtheland，andnightfallfouedmangintocamp，lighthaed。AnuproarfromthedogsandshrillRuthhastenedhim。
Burstingintothecamp，hesawthegirliofthesnarlingpagaboutherwithanax。Thedogshadbrokentheiroheirmastersandwererushingthegrub。
&heissuewithhisriflereversed，andthehameofionlayedoutwithalltheruthlesssprimevale。Rifleaupanddown，hitormissedwithmonularity;lithebodiesflashed，withwildeyesanddrippingfangs;andmafoughtforsupremacytothebitterest。Theescrepttotheedgeht，ligtheirwounds，voigtheirmiserytothestars。
&ockofdriedsalmonhadbeendevoured，andperhapsfivepoundsofflourremaiidethemovertwohundredmilesofwilderhreturoherhusbaeKidcutupthewarmbodyofoheskullofwhichhadbeeheax。Everyportioaway，savethehideandoffal，whichwerecasttohisfellowsofthemomentbefore。
Mhtfreshtrouble。Theaurher。，whostillgtoherslehreadoflife，wasdowhelashfellamongthemuheyddertheblows，butrefusedtoscattertillthelastwretchedbithaddisappeared-bones，hide，hair，everything。
&eKidwentabouthiswork，listeningtoMason，whowasbaessee，deliveringtangleddisdwildexhortationstohisbrethrenofotherdays。
Takingadvantageofneighbpines，heidly，andRuthwatchedhimmakeacachesimilartothosesometimesusedbyhuopreservetheirmeatfromthewolverinesanddogs。
&heother，hebeopsoftiowardeachotheraheground，makiwiththongsofmoosehide。Thehedogsintosubmissionahemtotwoofthesleds，loadiheverythingbutthefurswhiason。Theseheedalyabouthim，fastehereothebentpines。Asirokeofhishuntingknifewouldreleasethemahebodyhighintheair。
Ruthhadreceivedherhusband'slastwishesaruggle。Pirl，shehadlearhelessonofobediencewell。Fromachild，shehadbowed，andseeothelordsof，anditdidhehingsforwomaheKidpermittedherrief，asshekissedherhusband-herownpeoplehadnosu-theheforemostsledaohersnowshoes。Blindly，iookthegeepoleand;apos;mushed'thedogsoutoheoMason，whohadfallenintoaa，andlongaftershewasoutofsightcrouchedbythefire，ing，prayingforhisradetodie。
ItisobealohpainfulthoughtsieSilehesilenerciful，shroudihprotedbreathingathousandihies;butthebrightWhiteSilence，ddersteelyskies，ispitiless。
Anhourpassed-twohours-butthemanwouldhighhitsrimabovethesouthernhestiotheheavens，thenquicklydrewitback。MalemuteKidrousedanddraggedhimselftohisp;apos;sside。Heeglahim。TheWhiteSilereatfear。Thereort;MasonswungintohisaerialsepuldMalemuteKidlashedthedogsintoaashefledacrossthesnow。