Bennett；　before　which　they　ran　under　a　huge　sail　made　by　Liverpool。
  The　heavy　weight　of　outfit　gave　such　ballast　that　he　cracked　on　as
  a　daring　sailor　should　when　moments　counted。　　A　shift　of　four
  points　into　the　south…west；　coming　just　at　the　right　time　as　they
  entered　upon　Caribou　Crossing；　drove　them　down　that　connecting　link
  to　lakes　Tagish　and　Marsh。　　In　stormy　sunset　and　twilight　…　they
  made　the　dangerous　crossing　of　Great　Windy　Arm；　wherein　they　beheld
  two　other　boat…loads　of　gold…rushers　capsize　and　drown。
  Charles　was　for　beaching　for　the　night；　but　Liverpool　held　on；
  steering　down　Tagish　by　the　sound　of　the　surf　on　the　shoals　and　by
  the　occasional　shore…fires　that　advertised　wrecked　or　timid
  argonauts。　　At　four　in　the　morning；　he　aroused　Charles。　　Old
  Tarwater；　shiveringly　awake；　heard　Liverpool　order　Crayton　aft
  beside　him　at　the　steering…sweep；　and　also　heard　the　one…sided
  conversation。
  〃Just　listen；　friend　Charles；　and　keep　your　own　mouth　shut；〃
  Liverpool　began。　　〃I　want　you　to　get　one　thing　into　your　head　and
  keep　it　there：　　OLD　DAD'S　GOING　BY　THE　POLICE。　　UNDERSTAND？　HE'S
  GOING　BY。　　When　they　examine　our　outfit；　old　dad's　got　a　fifth
  share　in　it；　savvee？　　That'll　put　us　all　'way　under　what　we　ought
  to　have；　but　we　can　bluff　it　through。　　Now　get　this；　and　get　it
  hard：　　THERE　AIN'T　GOING　TO　BE　ANY　FALL…DOWN　ON　THIS　BLUFF　…　〃
  〃If　you　think　I'd　give　away　on　the　old　codger　…　〃　Charles　began
  indignantly。
  〃You　thought　that；〃　Liverpool　checked　him；　〃because　I　never
  mentioned　any　such　thing。　　Now　…　get　me　and　get　me　hard：　　I　don't
  care　what　you've　been　thinking。　　It's　what　you're　going　to　think。
  We'll　make　the　police　post　some　time　this　afternoon；　and　we've　got
  to　get　ready　to　pull　the　bluff　without　a　hitch；　and　a　word　to　the
  wise　is　plenty。〃
  〃If　you　think　I've　got　it　in　my　mind　…　〃　Charles　began　again。
  〃Look　here；〃　Liverpool　shut　him　off。　　〃I　don't　know　what's　in　your
  mind。　　I　don't　want　to　know。　　I　want　you　to　know　what's　in　my　mind。
  If　there's　any　slip…up；　if　old　dad　gets　turned　back　by　the　police；
  I'm　going　to　pick　out　the　first　quiet　bit　of　landscape　and　take　you
  ashore　on　it。　　And　then　I'm　going　to　beat　you　up　to　the　Queen's
  taste。　　Get　me；　and　get　me　hard。　　It　ain't　going　to　be　any　half…way
  beating；　but　a　real；　two…legged；　two…fisted；　he…man　beating。　　I
  don't　expect　I'll　kill　you；　but　I'll　come　damn　near　to　half…killing
  you。〃
  〃But　what　can　I　do？〃　Charles　almost　whimpered。
  〃Just　one　thing；〃　was　Liverpool's　final　word。　　〃You　just　pray。　　You
  pray　so　hard　that　old　dad　gets　by　the　police　that　he　does　get　by。
  That's　all。　　Go　back　to　your　blankets。〃
  Before　they　gained　Lake　Le　Barge；　the　land　was　sheeted　with　snow
  that　would　not　melt　for　half　a　year。　　Nor　could　they　lay　their　boat
  at　will　against　the　bank；　for　the　rim…ice　was　already　forming。
  Inside　the　mouth　of　the　river；　just　ere　it　entered　Lake　Le　Barge；
  they　found　a　hundred　storm…bound　boats　of　the　argonauts。　　Out　of
  the　north；　across　the　full　sweep　of　the　great　lake；　blew　an
  unending　snow　gale。　　Three　mornings　they　put　out　and　fought　it　and
  the　cresting　seas　it　drove　that　turned　to　ice　as　they　fell　in…
  board。　　While　the　others　broke　their　hearts　at　the　oars；　Old
  Tarwater　managed　to　keep　up　just　sufficient　circulation　to　survive
  by　chopping　ice　and　throwing　it　overboard。
  Each　day　for　three　days；　beaten　to　helplessness；　they　turned　tail
  on　the　battle　and　ran　back　into　the　sheltering　river。　　By　the
  fourth　day；　the　hundred　boats　had　increased　to　three　hundred；　and
  the　two　thousand　argonauts　on　board　knew　that　the　great　gale
  heralded　the　freeze…up　of　Le　Barge。　　Beyond；　the　rapid　rivers　would
  continue　to　run　for　days；　but　unless　they　got　beyond；　and
  immediately；　they　were　doomed　to　be　frozen　in　for　six　months　to
  come。
  〃This　day　we　go　through；〃　Liverpool　announced。　　〃We　turn　back　for
  nothing。　　And　those　of　us　that　dies　at　the　oars　will　live　again　and
  go　on　pulling。〃
  And　they　went　through；　winning　half　the　length　of　the　lake　by
  nightfall　and　pulling　on　through　all　the　night　hours　as　the　wind
  went　down；　falling　asleep　at　the　oars　and　being　rapped　awake　by
  Liverpool；　toiling　on　through　an　age…long　nightmare　while　the　stars
  came　out　and　the　surface　of　the　lake　turned　to　the　unruffledness　of
  a　sheet　of　paper　and　froze　skin…ice　that　tinkled　like　broken　glass
  as　their　oar…blades　shattered　it。
  As　day　broke　clear　and　cold；　they　entered　the　river；　with　behind
  them　a　sea　of　ice。　　Liverpool　examined　his　aged　passenger　and　found
  him　helpless　and　almost　gone。　　When　he　rounded　the　boat　to　against
  the　rim…ice　to　build　a　fire　and　warm　up　Tarwater　inside　and　out；
  Charles　protested　against　such　loss　of　time。
  〃This　ain't　business；　so　don't　you　come　horning　in；〃　Liverpool
  informed　him。　　〃I'm　running　the　boat　trip。　　So　you　just　climb　out
  and　chop　firewood；　and　plenty　of　it。　　I'll　take　care　of　dad。　　You；
  Anson；　make　a　fire　on　the　bank。　　And　you；　Bill；　set　up　the　Yukon
  stove　in　the　boat。　　Old　dad　ain't　as　young　as　the　rest　of　us；　and
  for　the　rest　of　this　voyage　he's　going　to　have　a　fire　on　board　to
  sit　by。〃
  All　of　which　came　to　pass；　and　the　boat；　in　the　grip　of　the
  current；　like　a　river　steamer　with　smoke　rising　from　the　two　joints
  of　stove…pipe；　grounded　on　shoals；　hung　up　on　split　currents；　and
  charged　rapids　and　canyons；　as　it　drove　deeper　into　the　Northland
  winter。　　The　Big　and　Little　Salmon　rivers　were　throwing　mush…ice
  into　the　main　river　as　they　passed；　and；　below　the　riffles；　anchor…
  ice　arose　from　the　river　bottom　and　coated　the　surface　with　crystal
  scum。　　Night　and　day　the　rim…ice　grew；　till；　in　quiet　places；　it
  extended　out　a　hundred　yards　from　shore。　　And　Old　Tarwater；　with
  all　his　clothes　on；　sat　by　the　stove　and　kept　the　fire　going。
  Night　and　day；　not　daring　to　stop　for　fear　of　the　imminent　freeze…
  up；　they　dared　to　run；　an　increasing　mushiness　of　ice　running　with
  them。
  〃What　ho；　old　hearty？〃　Liverpool　would　call　out　at　times。
  〃Cheer　O；〃　Old　Tarwater　had　learned　to　respond。
  〃What　can　I　ever　do　for　you；　son；　in　payment？〃　Tarwater；　stoking
  the　fire；　would　sometimes　ask　Liverpool；　beating　now　one　released
  hand　and　now　the　other　as　he　fought　for　circulation　where　he
  steered　in　the　freezing　stern…sheets。
  〃Just　break　out　that　regular　song　of　yours；　old　Forty…Niner；〃　was
  the　invariable　reply。
  And　Tarwater　would　lift　his　voice　in　the　cackling　chant；　as　he
  lifted　it　at　the　end；　when　the　boat　swung　in　through　driving　cake…
  ice　and　moored　to　the　Dawson　City　bank；　and　all　waterfront　Dawson
  pricked　its　ears　to　hear　the　triumphant　paean：
  Like　Argus　of　the　ancient　times；
  We　leave　this　modern　Greece；
  Tum…tum；　tum…tum；　tum；　tum；　tum…tum；
  To　shear　the　Golden　Fleece；
  Charles　did　it；　but　he　did　it　so　discreetly　that　none　of　his　party；
  least　of　all　the　sailor；　ever　learned　of　it。　　He　saw　two　great　open
  barges　being　filled　up　with　men；　and；　on　inquiry；　learned　that
  these　were　grubless　ones　being　rounded　up　and　sent　down　the　Yukon
  by　the　Committee　of　Safety。　　The　barges　were　to　be　towed　by　the
  last　little　steamboat　in　Dawson；　and　the　hope　was　that　Fort　Yukon；
  where　lay　the　stranded　steamboats；　would　be　gained　before　the　river
  froze。　　At　any　rate；　no　matter　what　happened　to　them；　Dawson　would
  be　relieved　of　their　grub…consuming　presence。　　So　to　the　Committee
  of　Safety　Charles　went；　privily　to　drop　a　flea　in　its　ear
  concerning　Tarwater's　grubless；　moneyless；　and　aged　condition。
  Tarwater　was　one　of　the　last　gathered　in；　and　when　Young　Liverpool
  returned　to　the　boat；　from　the　bank　he　saw　the　barges　in　a　run　of
  cake…ice；　disappearing　around　the　bend　below　Moose…hide　Mountain。
  Running　in　cake…ice　all　the　way；　and　several　times　escaping　jams　in
  the　Yukon　Flats；　the　barges　made　their　hundreds　of　miles　of
  progress　farther　into　the　north　and　froze　up　cheek　by　jowl　with　the
  grub…fleet。　　Here；　inside　the　Arctic　Circle；　Old　Tarwater　settled
  down　to　pass　the　long　winter。　　Several　hours'　work　a　day；　chopping
  firewood　for　the　steamboat　companies；　sufficed　to　keep　him　in　food。
  For　the　rest　of　the　time　there　was　nothing　to　do　but　hibernate　in
  his　log　cabin。
  Warmth；　rest；　and　plenty　to　eat；　cured　his　hacking　cough　and　put
  him　in　as　good　physical　condition　as　was　possible　for　his　advanced
  years。　　But；　even　before　Christmas；　the　lack　of　fresh　vegetables
  caused　scurvy　to　break　out；　and　disappointed　adventurer　after
  disappointed　adventurer　took　to　his　bunk　in　abject　surrender　to
  this　culminating　misfortune。　　Not　so　Tarwater。　　Even　before　the
  first　symptoms　appeared　on　him；　he　was　putting　into　practice　his
  one　prescription；　namely；　exercise。　　From　the　junk　of　the　old
  trading　post　he　resurrected　a　number　of　rusty　traps；　and　from　one
  of　the　steamboat　captains　he　borrowed　a　rifle。
  Thus　equipped；　he　ceased　from　wood…chopping；　and　began　to　make　more
  than　a　mere　living。　　Nor　was　he　downhearted　when　the　scur