They were limping and staggering.

Mercedes was riding the loaded sled.

Hal guided at the gee-pole, and Charles stumbled along in the rear.
As Buck watched them, Thornton knelt beside him and with rough, kindly hands searched for broken bones.

By the time his search had disclosed nothing more than many bruises and a state of terrible starvation, the sled was a quarter of a mile away.

Dog and man watched it crawling along over the ice.