Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-01-13

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region of frozen silence. Davidson was unable to walk.
He was a big man and his weight proved a burden to
the dogs. For two days they went on slowly. On the
evening of the second day they made their small fire
and started to brew some tea. The bottom fell out Of
the pot and it could not be fixed. 1t was the only vessel
of any kind that they had with them. In it they had
heated their pemmican and stepped their tea. That acct
dent, apparently trihing in itself, those two men felt
might mean their death. From that time on they ate
frozen food and had no warming beverage.
On, on they went and at last there came a realizing
sense that they were lost. There was no food left which
could be spared to keep up the strength of the dogs.
Vincent led two of the creatures away and killed them
that they might serve as food for the two remaining ami
mails. Both men were weak to the point of exhaustion.
Vincent kept up his good cheer and rallied his patient
by his hopefulness. Then he went into the harness, TAX
ing the place of the animals that he had slain, and used
his remaining strength to help drag the sledge onward.
The two remaining dogs gave out. There would have
been the blackness of despair had it not been for some
thing in the spirit of those two men that made them see
light.
Doctor" said Davidson, you can't drag me further.
There is no reason why both of us should die. Unen-
numbered, perhaps you can make your way to the old
camp. Try it,"
Vincents answer was the fitting of the harness over
his shoulders once more and the trudging onward, drag
ging the sledge with its weakened burden behind him.
Doctor" said Davidson once more, you'd better go"
Vincent turned with a sort Of half smile. Davidson"
he said, "fts barely possible, as a mere matter between
men, l might find 1t in my heart to desert you and leave
you here to die. You must remember, however, that l
am a doctor and you're my patient, and it would be I'M
ethical to the last degree for me to go away and leave
you, so I'm afraid you'll have to put up with me"
The physician dragged his patient on through the
horror of the awful stiffness. Finally the end was at
hand. Vincent was lettering and Davidson, weakened as
the result of the operation he had undergone, coupled
with the exposure and lack of food, was practically in a
fainting condition. The sledge had been brought to a
point from which swept away for over a mile a gentle
declivity, smooth with snow and ice, Vincent sat down
on the edge of the sledge.
"Old fellow" he said, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid it's
almost up with me" Then he turned away his head, but
the sloping plain he saw a grimlooking rock which held
his gaze. Then he turned to Davidson again. Il don't
want to raise any false hopes" he said, "but that rock
looks like one that stood not far from the place where
the natives are. 1t is like a thousand others and prob
ably | am wrong, but God knows it's our last hope. l
can't drag you further, but I'll not leave you. Well go
together. We can slide down this declivity with our
sledge. We may go into a crevasse, as you know, and
that means death, but it's death anyway unless when
we pass that rock we see some huts beyond and to the
right"
Then those two men kissed each other, but spoke not
a word.
Vincent used his last remaining strength to start the
sledge. 1t went slowly with its own momentum down
the barely perceptible incline. Occasionally the accel
Grated speed would be checked by a smooth billow of Ice
over which they rode smoothly. They were approaching
the rock which to Vincent had looked familiar. They
were almost UP to II. On what the first look around the
rock should reveal the physician knew meant life OF
sons eyes were closed tight in the agony between thu