far　from　temptation；　will　make　a　man　of　him；〃　said　old　Neil　Bonner；
  and　forthwith　crawled　back　among　his　roses。　　Young　Neil　set　his
  jaw；　pitched　his　chin　at　the　proper　angle；　and　went　to　work。　　As　an
  underling　he　did　his　work　well　and　gained　the　commendation　of　his
  superiors。　　Not　that　he　delighted　in　the　work；　but　that　it　was　the
  one　thing　that　prevented　him　from　going　mad。
  The　first　year　he　wished　he　was　dead。　　The　second　year　he　cursed
  God。　　The　third　year　he　was　divided　between　the　two　emotions；　and
  in　the　confusion　quarrelled　with　a　man　in　authority。　　He　had　the
  best　of　the　quarrel；　though　the　man　in　authority　had　the　last
  word；a　word　that　sent　Neil　Bonner　into　an　exile　that　made　his　old
  billet　appear　as　paradise。　　But　he　went　without　a　whimper；　for　the
  North　had　succeeded　in　making　him　into　a　man。
  Here　and　there；　on　the　white　spaces　on　the　map；　little　circlets
  like　the　letter　〃o〃　are　to　be　found；　and；　appended　to　these
  circlets；　on　one　side　or　the　other；　are　names　such　as　〃Fort
  Hamilton；〃　〃Yanana　Station；〃　〃Twenty　Mile；〃　thus　leading　one　to
  imagine　that　the　white　spaces　are　plentifully　besprinkled　with
  towns　and　villages。　　But　it　is　a　vain　imagining。　　Twenty　Mile；
  which　is　very　like　the　rest　of　the　posts；　is　a　log　building　the
  size　of　a　corner　grocery　with　rooms　to　let　up…stairs。　　A　long…
  legged　cache　on　stilts　may　be　found　in　the　back　yard；　also　a　couple
  of　outhouses。　　The　back　yard　is　unfenced；　and　extends　to　the
  skyline　and　an　unascertainable　bit　beyond。　　There　are　no　other
  houses　in　sight；　though　the　Toyaats　sometimes　pitch　a　winter　camp　a
  mile　or　two　down　the　Yukon。　　And　this　is　Twenty　Mile；　one　tentacle
  of　the　many…tentacled　P。　C。　Company。　　Here　the　agent；　with　an
  assistant；　barters　with　the　Indians　for　their　furs；　and　does　an
  erratic　trade　on　a　gold…dust　basis　with　the　wandering　miners。
  Here；　also；　the　agent　and　his　assistant　yearn　all　winter　for　the
  spring；　and　when　the　spring　comes；　camp　blasphemously　on　the　roof
  while　the　Yukon　washes　out　the　establishment。　　And　here；　also；　in
  the　fourth　year　of　his　sojourn　in　the　land；　came　Neil　Bonner　to
  take　charge。
  He　had　displaced　no　agent；　for　the　man　that　previously　ran　the　post
  had　made　away　with　himself；　〃because　of　the　rigours　of　the　place；〃
  said　the　assistant；　who　still　remained；　though　the　Toyaats；　by
  their　fires；　had　another　version。　　The　assistant　was　a　shrunken…
  shouldered；　hollow…chested　man；　with　a　cadaverous　face　and
  cavernous　cheeks　that　his　sparse　black　beard　could　not　hide。　　He
  coughed　much；　as　though　consumption　gripped　his　lungs；　while　his
  eyes　had　that　mad；　fevered　light　common　to　consumptives　in　the　last
  stage。　　Pentley　was　his　nameAmos　Pentleyand　Bonner　did　not　like
  him；　though　he　felt　a　pity　for　the　forlorn　and　hopeless　devil。
  They　did　not　get　along　together；　these　two　men　who；　of　all　men；
  should　have　been　on　good　terms　in　the　face　of　the　cold　and　silence
  and　darkness　of　the　long　winter。
  In　the　end；　Bonner　concluded　that　Amos　was　partly　demented；　and
  left　him　alone；　doing　all　the　work　himself　except　the　cooking。
  Even　then；　Amos　had　nothing　but　bitter　looks　and　an　undisguised
  hatred　for　him。　　This　was　a　great　loss　to　Bonner；　for　the　smiling
  face　of　one　of　his　own　kind；　the　cheery　word；　the　sympathy　of
  comradeship　shared　with　misfortunethese　things　meant　much；　and
  the　winter　was　yet　young　when　he　began　to　realize　the　added
  reasons；　with　such　an　assistant；　that　the　previous　agent　had　found
  to　impel　his　own　hand　against　his　life。
  It　was　very　lonely　at　Twenty　Mile。　　The　bleak　vastness　stretched
  away　on　every　side　to　the　horizon。　　The　snow；　which　was　really
  frost；　flung　its　mantle　over　the　land　and　buried　everything　in　the
  silence　of　death。　　For　days　it　was　clear　and　cold；　the　thermometer
  steadily　recording　forty　to　fifty　degrees　below　zero。　　Then　a
  change　came　over　the　face　of　things。　　What　little　moisture　had
  oozed　into　the　atmosphere　gathered　into　dull　grey；　formless　clouds；
  it　became　quite　warm；　the　thermometer　rising　to　twenty　below；　and
  the　moisture　fell　out　of　the　sky　in　hard　frost…granules　that　hissed
  like　dry　sugar　or　driving　sand　when　kicked　underfoot。　　After　that
  it　became　clear　and　cold　again；　until　enough　moisture　had　gathered
  to　blanket　the　earth　from　the　cold　of　outer　space。　　That　was　all。
  Nothing　happened。　　No　storms；　no　churning　waters　and　threshing
  forests；　nothing　but　the　machine…like　precipitation　of　accumulated
  moisture。　　Possibly　the　most　notable　thing　that　occurred　through
  the　weary　weeks　was　the　gliding　of　the　temperature　up　to　the
  unprecedented　height　of　fifteen　below。　　To　atone　for　this；　outer
  space　smote　the　earth　with　its　cold　till　the　mercury　froze　and　the
  spirit　thermometer　remained　more　than　seventy　below　for　a
  fortnight；　when　it　burst。　　There　was　no　telling　how　much　colder　it
  was　after　that。　　Another　occurrence；　monotonous　in　its　regularity；
  was　the　lengthening　of　the　nights；　till　day　became　a　mere　blink　of
  light　between　the　darkness。
  Neil　Bonner　was　a　social　animal。　　The　very　follies　for　which　he　was
  doing　penance　had　been　bred　of　his　excessive　sociability。　　And
  here；　in　the　fourth　year　of　his　exile；　he　found　himself　in　company…
  …which　were　to　travesty　the　wordwith　a　morose　and　speechless
  creature　in　whose　sombre　eyes　smouldered　a　hatred　as　bitter　as　it
  was　unwarranted。　　And　Bonner；　to　whom　speech　and　fellowship　were　as
  the　breath　of　life；　went　about　as　a　ghost　might　go；　tantalized　by
  the　gregarious　revelries　of　some　former　life。　　In　the　day　his　lips
  were　compressed；　his　face　stern；　but　in　the　night　he　clenched　his
  hands；　rolled　about　in　his　blankets；　and　cried　aloud　like　a　little
  child。　　And　he　would　remember　a　certain　man　in　authority　and　curse
  him　through　the　long　hours。　　Also；　he　cursed　God。　　But　God
  understands。　　He　cannot　find　it　in　his　heart　to　blame　weak　mortals
  who　blaspheme　in　Alaska。
  And　here；　to　the　post　of　Twenty　Mile；　came　Jees　Uck；　to　trade　for
  flour　and　bacon；　and　beads；　and　bright　scarlet　cloths　for　her　fancy
  work。　　And　further；　and　unwittingly；　she　came　to　the　post　of　Twenty
  Mile　to　make　a　lonely　man　more　lonely；　make　him　reach　out　empty
  arms　in　his　sleep。　　For　Neil　Bonner　was　only　a　man。　　When　she　first
  came　into　the　store；　he　looked　at　her　long；　as　a　thirsty　man　may
  look　at　a　flowing　well。　　And　she；　with　the　heritage　bequeathed　her
  by　Spike　O'Brien；　imagined　daringly　and　smiled　up　into　his　eyes；
  not　as　the　swart…skinned　peoples　should　smile　at　the　royal　races；
  but　as　a　woman　smiles　at　a　man。　　The　thing　was　inevitable；　only；　he
  did　not　see　it；　and　fought　against　her　as　fiercely　and　passionately
  as　he　was　drawn　towards　her。　　And　she？　　She　was　Jees　Uck；　by
  upbringing　wholly　and　utterly　a　Toyaat　Indian　woman。
  She　came　often　to　the　post　to　trade。　　And　often　she　sat　by　the　big
  wood　stove　and　chatted　in　broken　English　with　Neil　Bonner。　　And　he
  came　to　look　for　her　coming；　and　on　the　days　she　did　not　come　he
  was　worried　and　restless。　　Sometimes　he　stopped　to　think；　and　then
  she　was　met　coldly；　with　a　resolve　that　perplexed　and　piqued　her；
  and　which；　she　was　convinced；　was　not　sincere。　　But　more　often　he
  did　not　dare　to　think；　and　then　all　went　well　and　there　were　smiles
  and　laughter。　　And　Amos　Pentley；　gasping　like　a　stranded　catfish；
  his　hollow　cough　a…reek　with　the　grave；　looked　upon　it　all　and
  grinned。　　He；　who　loved　life；　could　not　live；　and　it　rankled　his
  soul　that　others　should　be　able　to　live。　　Wherefore　he　hated
  Bonner；　who　was　so　very　much　alive　and　into　whose　eyes　sprang　joy
  at　the　sight　of　Jees　Uck。　　As　for　Amos；　the　very　thought　of　the
  girl　was　sufficient　to　send　his　blood　pounding　up　into　a
  hemorrhage。
  Jees　Uck；　whose　mind　was　simple；　who　thought　elementally　and　was
  unused　to　weighing　life　in　its　subtler　quantities；　read　Amos
  Pentley　like　a　book。　　She　warned　Bonner；　openly　and　bluntly；　in　few
  words；　but　the　complexities　of　higher　existence　confused　the
  situation　to　him；　and　he　laughed　at　her　evident　anxiety。　　To　him；
  Amos　was　a　poor；　miserable　devil；　tottering　desperately　into　the
  grave。　　And　Bonner；　who　had　suffered　much；　found　it　easy　to　forgive
  greatly。
  But　one　morning；　during　a　bitter　snap；　he　got　up　from　the
  breakfast…table　and　went　into　the　store。　　Jees　Uck　was　already
  there；　rosy　from　the　trail；　to　buy　a　sack　of　flour。　　A　few　minutes
  later；　he　was　out　in　the　snow　lashing　the　flour　on　her　sled。　　As　he
  bent　over　he　noticed　a　stiffness　in　his　neck　and　felt　a　premonition
  of　impending　physical　misfortune。　　And　as　he　put　the　last　half…
  hitch　into　the　lashing　and　attempted　to　straighten　up；　a　quick
  spasm　seized　him　and　he　sank　into　the　snow。　　Tense　and　quivering；
  head　jerked　back；　limbs　extended；　back　arched　and　mouth　twisted　and
  distorted；　he　appeared　as　though　being　racked　limb　from　limb。
  Without　cry　or　sound；　Jees　Uck　was　in　the　snow　beside　him；　but　he
  clutched　both　her　wrists　spasmodically；　and　as　long　as　the
  convulsion　endured　she　was　helpless。　　In　a　fe