The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1902-08-07
g2x S~e@F
/ g TO BUILD A FIRE
BY JACK LONDON.


into the creek. aud, on top OF the creek
ice. formed shallow pools.
The surface Of these pools, In turn,
took on skin Of Ice which grew thick.
er and thicker, until the water overan,
and so formed a second ice-skimmed
pool above the first
Thus at the bottom was the solid
creek Ice, then probably six to eight
inches of water, then thin Ice skim,
then another six inches of water and
another Ice skim. And on top Of this
last skin was about an inch OF recent
snow to make the trap complete.
To Tom viucents eye the unbroken
snow surface gave no warning Of the
lurking danger. AS the crust was
thicker at the edge he was well toward
the middle before he broke through.
In itself 1t was a very insignificant
mishap-a man does not drown in
twelve inches Of water-but in its con-
sequences as serious an accident as
could possibly befall him.
At the instant he broke through he,
felt the cold water strike his feet and
ankles, and with half dozen lunges
be made the bank. He was quite cool
and collected. The thing to do, and the
only thing to do, was to build a fire.
For another precept of the north runs:
Travel with wet socks down to twenty
below zero; after that build fire. And
1t was three times twenty below and
colder, and he knew it.
He knew, further, that great care
must be exercised; that with failure
at the FIRST attempt the chance was
made greater for failure at the second
attempt. In short, he knew that there
must be no failure. The moment be.
fore a strong, eXulting man, boastful
of his mastery OF the elements, he was
now fighting for his life against those
same elements-such was the difference
caused by the injection of a quart of
water into a northland travellers calcu.
lations.
In clump of pines on the rim of the
bank the spring high water had lodged
many twigs and small branches Thor.
oughly dried by the summer sun they
now waited the match.
1t is impossible to build a fire with
heavy Alaskan mlttens on ones hands,
so Vincent barred his, gathered a sufti-
Client number Of twigs, and knocking
the snow from them knelt down to kin
die his fire. From an inside pocket he
drew out his matches and a strip Of
thin birch bark. The matches were of
the Klondike kind, sulphur matches,
100 in a bunch
He Noticed how quickly his fingers
had chilled as he separated one match
from the bunch and scratched 1t on his
trousers The birch bark, like the dry
est of paper, burst into bright flame.
This he carefully fed with the smallest
twigs and finest debris, cherishing the
flame with the utmost care. 1t did not
do to hurry things, as he well know,
and although his fingers were now
quite stiff be did not hurry.
After the first quick, biting sensation
of cold his feet had ached with a
heavy, dull ache and were rapidly
growing numb. But the fire, although
a very young one, was now a success.
and he knew that little snow, briskly
rubbed, would speedily cure his feet. \
But at the moment he was adding the
first thick twigs to the fire a grievous
thing haprened.e The pine boughs
above his head We're burdened with IL
four months snowfall and so finely
adjusted were- the burdens that his
slight movements in collecting the
twigs had been sufficient to disturb
the balance. .tt
The snow from the topmost bough
was the first to fall striking and dis.
lodging the snow on the boughs be.
meath. And all this snow, accumulat.
ing as II fell, smote Tom vlncents
head and shoulders and blotted out his
fire.
He still kept his presence of mind,
for he knew how great his danger was.
He started at once to rebuild the fire,
but his fingers were now so cold that
he could not bend them, and he was
forced to pick up each twig and splint-
er between the tips Of the fingers of
either hand.
When he came to the match he en-
countered great difficulty in separating
one from the bunch. This be succeed
ed in managing, however, and also. by
q great effort, in clutcbing the match
between his thumb and foreflnger. But
In scratching 1t he dropped 1t in the
snow and could not pick it up again.
He stood up, desperate. He could
not feel even his weight on his feet, al
though the ankles were aching pain
fully, Putting on his mittens, he