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III¡£

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The¡¡Mono¡¡trail¡¡ran¡¡along¡¡the¡¡level¡¡creek¡­bed£»¡¡and£»¡¡less¡¡than¡¡two¡¡feet¡¡in¡¡width£»¡¡was¡¡like¡¡a¡¡groove£»¡¡walled¡¡on¡¡either¡¡side¡¡by¡¡the¡¡snow¡­¡¡fall¡¡of¡¡months¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡problem¡¡of¡¡how¡¡forty¡­odd¡¡sleds¡¡and¡¡three¡¡hundred¡¡dogs¡¡were¡¡to¡¡start¡¡in¡¡so¡¡narrow¡¡a¡¡course¡¡was¡¡in¡¡everybody's¡¡mind¡£

¡¨Huh£¡¡¨¡¡said¡¡Shorty¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨It's¡¡goin'¡¡to¡¡be¡¡the¡¡gosh¡­dangdest¡¡mix¡­up¡¡that¡¡ever¡¡was¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡can't¡¡see¡¡no¡¡way¡¡out£»¡¡Smoke£»¡¡except¡¡main¡¡strength¡¡an'¡¡sweat¡¡an'¡¡to¡¡plow¡¡through¡£¡¡¡¡If¡¡the¡¡whole¡¡creek¡¡was¡¡glare¡­ice¡¡they¡¡ain't¡¡room¡¡for¡¡a¡¡dozen¡¡teams¡¡abreast¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡got¡¡a¡¡hunch¡¡right¡¡now¡¡they's¡¡goin'¡¡to¡¡be¡¡a¡¡heap¡¡of¡¡scrappin'¡¡before¡¡they¡¡get¡¡strung¡¡out¡£¡¡An'¡¡if¡¡any¡¡of¡¡it¡¡comes¡¡our¡¡way¡¡you¡¡got¡¡to¡¡let¡¡me¡¡do¡¡the¡¡punchin'¡£¡¨

Smoke¡¡squared¡¡his¡¡shoulders¡¡and¡¡laughed¡¡non¡­committally¡£

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Smoke¡¡nodded¡¡his¡¡head¡£

¡¨You're¡¡right£»¡¡Shorty¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡couldn't¡¡risk¡¡the¡¡chance¡£¡¨

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IV¡£

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At¡¡a¡¡few¡¡minutes¡¡before¡¡midnight£»¡¡leaving¡¡Shorty¡¡with¡¡the¡¡dogs¡¡five¡¡hundred¡¡yards¡¡down¡¡the¡¡creek£»¡¡Smoke¡¡joined¡¡the¡¡racers¡¡on¡¡Number¡¡Three¡£¡¡¡¡There¡¡were¡¡forty¡­five¡¡of¡¡them¡¡waiting¡¡the¡¡start¡¡for¡¡the¡¡thousand¡­thousand¡¡dollars¡¡Cyrus¡¡Johnson¡¡had¡¡left¡¡lying¡¡in¡¡the¡¡frozen¡¡gravel¡£¡¡¡¡Each¡¡man¡¡carried¡¡six¡¡stakes¡¡and¡¡a¡¡heavy¡¡wooden¡¡mallet£»¡¡and¡¡was¡¡clad¡¡in¡¡a¡¡smock¡­like¡¡parka¡¡of¡¡heavy¡¡cotton¡¡drill¡£

Lieutenant¡¡Pollock£»¡¡in¡¡a¡¡big¡¡bearskin¡¡coat£»¡¡looked¡¡at¡¡his¡¡watch¡¡by¡¡the¡¡light¡¡of¡¡a¡¡fire¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡lacked¡¡a¡¡minute¡¡of¡¡midnight¡£

¡¨Make¡¡ready£»¡¨¡¡he¡¡said£»¡¡as¡¡he¡¡raised¡¡a¡¡revolver¡¡in¡¡his¡¡right¡¡hand¡¡and¡¡watched¡¡the¡¡second¡¡hand¡¡tick¡¡around¡£

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