Waterways have ever been first highways, and the Yukon was the sole highway in all the land.

So those bound up-river pitched their poling-boats and shod their poles with iron, and those bound down caulked their scows and barges and shaped spare sweeps with axe and drawing-knife.

Jacob Welse loafed and joyed in the utter cessation from work, and Frona joyed with him in that it was good.

But Baron Courbertin was in a fever at the delay.

His hot blood grew riotous after the long hibernation, and the warm sunshine dazzled him with warmer fancies.
"Oh! Oh! It will never break! Never!" And he stood gazing at the surly ice and raining politely phrased anathema upon it.