The heart of the girl stopped,
then beat wildly to make up the lost stroke. He had come through the
blizzard to save her.
At that very instant, as if the stage had been set for it, the wonderful
Alaska sun pushed up into the crotch of the peaks and poured its radiance
over the Arctic waste. The pink glow swept in a tide of delicate color
over the snow and transmuted it to millions of sparkling diamonds. The
Great Magician's wand had recreated the world instantaneously.
CHAPTER XXVI
HARD MUSHING
Elliot and Holt left Kusiak in a spume of whirling, blinding snow. They
traveled light, not more than forty pounds to the dog, for they wanted
to make speed. It was not cold for Alaska. They packed their fur coats
on the sled and wore waterproof parkas. On their hands were mittens
of moosehide with duffel lining, on their feet mukluks above "German"
socks. Holt had been a sour-dough miner too long to let his partner
perspire from overmuch clothing. He knew the danger of pneumonia from
a sudden cooling of the heat of the body.
Old Gideon took seven of his dogs, driving them two abreast. Six were
huskies, rangy, muscular animals with thick, dense coats. They were in
the best of spirits and carried their tails erect like their Malemute
leader.
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