The call of the wild . cerned only Charles and Hal), presentlywould be lugged in the rest of the family,fathers, mothers, uncles, cousins, peoplethousands of miles away, and some of themdead. That Hals views on art, or the sortof society plays his mothers brother wrote,should have anything to do with the choppingof a few sticks of firewood, passes compre-hension ; nevertheless the quarrel was as likely THE TOIL OF TRACE AND TRAIL 143 to tend in that direction as in the directionof Charless political prejudices. And thatCharless sisters tale-bearing tongue shouldbe relevant to the building of a
The call of the wild . cerned only Charles and Hal), presentlywould be lugged in the rest of the family,fathers, mothers, uncles, cousins, peoplethousands of miles away, and some of themdead. That Hals views on art, or the sortof society plays his mothers brother wrote,should have anything to do with the choppingof a few sticks of firewood, passes compre-hension ; nevertheless the quarrel was as likely THE TOIL OF TRACE AND TRAIL 143 to tend in that direction as in the directionof Charless political prejudices. And thatCharless sisters tale-bearing tongue shouldbe relevant to the building of a Yukon fire,was apparent only to Mercedes, who disbur-dened herself of copious opinions upon thattopic, and incidentally upon a few other traits. unpleasantly peculiar to her husbands the meantime the fire remained unbuilt, thecamp half pitched, and the dogs unfed. Mercedes nursed a special grievance — thegrievance of sex. She was pretty and soft,and had been chivalrously treated all her the present treatment by her husband andbrother was everything save chivalrous. Itwas her custom to be helpless. They com- 144 THE CALL OF THE WILD plained. Upon which impeachment of whatto her was her most essential sex-prerogative,she made their lives unendurable. She nolonger considered the dogs, and because shewas sore and tired, she persisted in riding onthe sled. She was pretty and soft, but sheweighed one hundred and twenty pounds — alusty last straw to the load dragged by theweak and starving animals. She rode fordays, till they fell in the traces and the sledstood still. Charles and Hal begged her toget off and walk, pleaded with her, entreated,the while she wept and importuned Heavenwith a recital of their bruta
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