It was an awful situation.

To kill all the dogs meant simply to sacrifice his life and Rea's; it meant abandoning hope of ever reaching the cabin.

Then to risk being bitten by one of the poisoned, maddened brutes, to risk the most horrible of agonizing deaths--that was even worse.
"Rea, we've one chance," cried Jones, with pale face.

"Can you hold the dogs, one by one, while muzzle them ?" "Ho! Ho!" replied the giant.

Placing his bowie knife between his teeth, with gloved hands he seized and dragged one of the dogs to the campfire.