Argosy All-Story Weekly, June 27, 1925 — page 99: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“MAN COMING OUT.” 833 ‘7 Whitey Wilkins, shooting out from the § The dogs, released, shot forward. Then bank with the last of the momentum that stopped; sank down panting. the swift slide had given him, changed his Slowly, cautiously, Whitey Wilkins course slightly. inched back over the bending, cracking sur- “ Fight it out, you huskies,” he called. face, back to safety. On firm footing he And as he shouted the footing changed got to his feet. As he did so the ice where beneath him. His skis leaving the hard he had been lying broke free, was drawn snow ran onto glare ice. He lost all power down by the current. of control. But ‘he had aimed true. Heslid | He shuddered. Somewhere below the across over the crackling, buckling ice white blanket that covered the river from and fouled the traces back of the second shore to shore Gregson was drifting. dog. Gregson who had sold himself for gold. The traces caught about his ankles, threw | Whitey wrenched his thoughts away from him. But his momentum carried the two the man. Later on he could think his case dogs over towards shore, where the ice was over; find, perhaps, some excuse for the firmer! where hard snow still clinging to it selfishness that had been punished so ter- gave them a foothold. ribly; but, for the moment, there were the Whitey, prone on the ice, dared not move dogs. for a moment. For the ice was thin. It | He looked them over as they lay there might not serve to hold his weight and that panting, the harness still on them. The big of the dogs, should he rise. leader, finding the man’s eye upon him, sat He sized things up as best he could. Then erect. loosed his skis. Four dogs were in the Whitey had heard tales of these huskies, water—one of them probably drowned, for of their savagery, knew them for one man it was out of sight, drawn under the ice by dogs. He must, he felt, act quickly. If the weight of the toboggan. The other three they rebelled against their new master he were trying to climb out. Their efforts must handle them without fear. seemed to have broken down the thinner He walked up to that big leader. To his ice at the edge of the hole, and the unbroken surprise the dog took his coming as a matter ice might hold them. of course. Whitey Wilkins, daring greatly, Whitey felt gingerly for the traces twisted laid his hand on the big brute’s head, pat- about his ankles, and pulled, taking the ting it gently. strain slowly. His effort, weak in itself, | The dog, twisting his head sideways, served its p'trpose. The two dogs on firmer licked Whitey’s hand. ice still tugged away like the well trained ‘‘ You knowin’ brute,” Whitey ejaculated animals they were. One by one the three with relief. “I'l bet you know I saved living dogs clambered out. you.” Then Whitey braced himself as best he The big dog whimpered as if in agree- might, took one hand off the traces, fumbled ment. for his knife. He could feel the bump, Then Whitey turned to the others. Three bump of the toboggan through the ice be- of them seemed all right. The fourth was neath him. Suddenly he released his hold of done for. It was lying on its side, its the trace altogether. The ogs feeling again tongue out, breathing hoarsely. the whole weight of the toboggan began to He bent over it. As he did so the dog’s slip and slide, clawing frantically. eyes filmed. Its breathing ceased. He drew He threw himself along the ice towards out his knife once more and cut the traces the edge of the hole. It crackled, that close to its collar. fragile ice, and sank a few inches. The water ‘We got to make it with four of you,” lapped at its edge, rose over it. As he said Whitey Wilkins. reached down into the cold depths he could § He fumbled with icy fingers at his ski feel its icy caress along his side. lashings, got them fixed, finally, then rose. With a lucky stroke he cut the traces “ Now if them dogs follows It’s all right,” clear. he thought, “ but if they don’t.” COMmica@oo SS Co