Broad scowled at the questioner.  “Say!  I wouldn’t walk down that place if it was froze.”

“Nor me,” the other gambler seconded.  “Not for a million dollars would I tease the embalmer that way.  Not for a million.  Would you, Lucky?”

Broad appeared to weigh the figures carefully; then he said, doubtfully:  “I’m a cheap guy.  I might risk it once—­for five hundred thousand, cash.  But that’s rock bottom; I wouldn’t take a nickel less.”

Doret had been listening with some amusement; now he said, “You boys got wide pay-streak, eh?”

Bridges nodded without shame.  “Wider’n, a swamp, and yeller’n butter.”

“Wal, I see w’at I can do.”  The pilot walked up the bank in search of a crew.

In the course of a half-hour he was back again and with him came the Countess Courteau.  Calling Pierce aside, the woman said, swiftly:  “We can’t get a soul to help us; everybody’s in a rush.  We’ll have to use our own men.”

“Broad and Bridges are the best we have,” he told her, “but they refuse.”

“You’re not afraid, are you?”

Now Pierce was afraid and he longed mightily to admit that he was, but he lacked the courage to do so.  He smiled feebly and shrugged, whereupon the former speaker misread his apparent indifference and flashed him a smile.

“Forgive me,” she said, in a low voice.  “I know you’re not.”  She hurried down to the water’s edge and addressed the two gamblers in a business-like tone:  “We’ve no time to lose.  Which one of you wants to lead off with Doret and Pierce?”

The men exchanged glances.  It was Broad who finally spoke.  “We been figuring it would please us better to walk,” he said, mildly.

“Suit yourselves,” the Countess told them, coolly.  “But it’s a long walk from here to Dawson.”  She turned back to Pierce and said:  “You’ve seen the canon.  There’s nothing so terrible about it, is there?”

Phillips was conscious that ’Poleon Doret’s eyes were dancing with laughter, and anger at his own weakness flared up in him.  “Why, no!” he lied, bravely.  “It will be a lot of fun.”

Kid Bridges leveled a sour look at the speaker.  “Some folks have got low ideas of entertainment,” said he.  “Some folks is absolutely depraved that way.  You’d probably enjoy a broken arm—­ it would feel so good when it got well.”

The Countess Courteau’s lip was curled contemptuously when she said:  “Listen!  I’m not going to be held up.  There’s a chance, of course, but hundreds have gone through.  I can pull an oar.  Pierce and I will row the first boat.”

Doret opened his lips to protest, but Broad obviated the necessity of speech by rising from his seat and announcing:  “Deal the cards!  I came in on no pair; I don’t aim to be raised out ahead of the draw-not by a woman.”

Mr. Bridges was both shocked and aggrieved by his companion’s words.  “You going to tackle it?” he asked, incredulously.