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Burning Daylight by Jack London
page 64 of 422 (15%)
resiliency went out of his muscles, and his limp became
permanent. Yet he labored stoically on, never shirking, never
grunting a hint of complaint. Daylight was thin-faced and tired.

He looked tired; yet somehow, with that marvelous mechanism of a
body that was his, he drove on, ever on, remorselessly on. Never
was he more a god in Kama's mind than in the last days of the
south-bound traverse, as the failing Indian watched him, ever to
the fore, pressing onward with urgency of endurance such as Kama
had never seen nor dreamed could thrive in human form.

The time came when Kama was unable to go in the lead and break
trail, and it was a proof that he was far gone when he permitted
Daylight to toil all day at the heavy snowshoe work. Lake by
lake they crossed the string of lakes from Marsh to Linderman,
and began the ascent of Chilcoot. By all rights, Daylight should
have camped below the last pitch of the pass at the dim end of
day; but he kept on and over and down to Sheep Camp, while behind
him raged a snow-storm that would have delayed him twenty-four
hours.

This last excessive strain broke Kama completely. In the morning
he could not travel. At five, when called, he sat up after a
struggle, groaned, and sank back again. Daylight did the camp
work of both, harnessed the dogs, and, when ready for the start,
rolled the helpless Indian in all three sleeping robes and lashed
him on top of the sled. The going was good; they were on the
last lap; and he raced the dogs down through Dyea Canon and along
the hard-packed trail that led to Dyea Post. And running still,
Kama groaning on top the load, and Daylight leaping at the
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