All day
the wind blew and the snow fell, and all day we travelled, while
our stomachs gnawed their desire and our bodies grew weaker with
every step they took. Then the woman began to fall. Then the man.
I did not fall, but my feet were heavy and I caught my toes and
stumbled many times.
"That night is the end of February. I kill three ptarmigan with
the woman's revolver, and we are made somewhat strong again. But
the dogs have nothing to eat. They try to eat their harness, which
is of leather and walrus-hide, and I must fight them off with a
club and hang all the harness in a tree. And all night they howl
and fight around that tree. But we do not mind. We sleep like
dead people, and in the morning get up like dead people out of
their graves and go on along the trail.
"That morning is the 1st of March, and on that morning I see the
first sign of that after which the baby wolves are in search. It
is clear weather, and cold. The sun stay longer in the sky, and
there are sun-dogs flashing on either side, and the air is bright
with frost-dust.
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