Terror transformed Cantine’s features. He wildly scanned the walls of the back room for window or door, but, as he remembered now, there was no window or door.
“Blera, we’re trapped!” he faltered with a great revelation. “We’re trapped, and Bassett’s done it. This is the trail his partner was putting relay camps on, the Nordenskold Trail. The road down the Middle Fork runs right here. Why in Hades didn’t we watch where we were going?”
Blera, unanswering, held the mackinaw skirt spread out in her hands. She was trembling from head to foot, and her eyes stared wide under the surge of emotion, jumbled emotion, fear, remorse, anxiety, longing, despair.
“Bassett’s done it!” repeated Jose. “Curse his bloody heart, he knew where his partner was. He knew if he closed the Yukon against us we’d have to travel the Nordenskold. I wish, to blue brimstoned blazes, I’d been quicker with my Colt that night up at—but what in thunder’s the use of raving?” He stopped short in his furious passion. “We got to do something. We got to do it mighty sudden. Blera, what in tarnation can we do without dogs, arms or grub?”
“I don’t know what we can do,” answered Blera, breathing as if she were sobbing, “but we got to get out of here. Put on dry parkas and draw the hoods close and beat it. Maybe we can get out before he comes in. If we don’t, tell him—tell—him we got to keep right on. Tell him your brother’s sick up in the Miner’s Range. Here’s a bullet knocking around in the dunnage-bag. Put it in your mouth, and it’ll help change your voice some. And for God’s sake let’s keep our parka hoods drawn tight.”
Blera dropped the plaid mackinaw skirt and, contorting feverishly, they both donned parkas and pulled open the door.
But as they stepped out into the main room of the cabin the door of it rattled, was kicked back, and both his arms full, Sark staggered in with the wood.
Instantly, as before, the five huskies leaped viciously across the floor at Jose and Blera.
Sark let fall his load, caught up a single billet and belabored the beasts over the heads.