four in the afternoon
He was now on the main stream and below where his and Shorty 's trail crossed the valley and climbed through a small feeder to the low divide on the other side . At the first hint of daylight he got under way , breakfastless , and wallowed a mile upstream to pick up the trail . And breakfastless , man and dogs , without a halt , for eight hours held back transversely across the series of small creeks and low divides and down Minnow Creek . By four in the afternoon , with darkness fast-set about him , he emerged on the hard-packed , running trail of Moose Creek . Fifty miles of it would end the journey . He called a rest , built a fire , threw each dog its half-salmon , and thawed and ate his pound of beans . Then he sprang on the sled , yelled , `` Mush ! ''