Hal started the sledge and went down towards the river.
哈爾駕著雪撬向河駛去。
Buck lifted his head and watched the sledge move away.
巴克抬起頭望著移動的雪撬。
Pike was leading, and Joe, Teak and Soles were behind him.
派克打頭, 喬, 蒂克和索拉克斯跟在他后面。
Hal was walking in front of the sledge and Mercedes was riding on it; Charles was walking behind.
哈爾走在雪撬前面, 瑪爾賽蒂坐在雪撬上, 查爾斯隨后。
As Buck watched, Thornton felt his body with gentle hands, searching for broken bones.
巴克一邊看著他們, 桑頓一邊用手輕輕撫摸著他的身體, 尋找著破碎的骨頭。
Buck was very thin, very tired and very weak, but Thornton didn't think he was going to die.
巴克雖然瘦骨嶙峋, 衰疲不已, 但桑頓卻仍然覺得他有救。
Then both dog and man watched the sledge as it went slowly out on to the ice in the middle of the river.
人和狗一起注視著雪撬緩緩地行到河中央。
Suddenly the back of the sledge went down and the front went up into the air.
突然雪撬的后部陷了下去, 前部向空中翹起。
Mercedes screamed, and Charles turned and took one step back.
瑪爾賽蒂尖叫起來, 查爾斯轉身剛后退了一步,
Then a big piece of ice broke off, and dogs, sledge and people disappeared; there was only a big hole in the ice.
隨后一大塊冰破裂了, 雪撬、狗還有人一起沒了蹤影, 冰面上只留下了一個大洞。
John Thornton and Buck looked at one another.
約翰桑頓和巴克互相對視著。
'You poor thing, ' said John Thornton, and Buck licked his hand.
“你這可憐兒, ”約翰桑頓說, 巴克舔著他的手。