The White Silence by Jack London. Short summary

5 seconds

Buddies Kid and Manson walk through the snowy desert amidst the «white silence. Manson’s pregnant wife travels with them. One day an old tree falls on him and he is seriously injured.

1 minute

The characters of the work find themselves in a snowy wilderness in the midst of «white silence. A small group of travelers: buddies Kid and Mason and his wife, Rood, make their way through the vast expanses of snow on a sled pulled by dogs. It’s not the first time the men have overcome dangers along the way.

After a while, there is too little food left for the men and the dogs. Hunger causes weakness, and the travelers can barely walk. Before the last supplies run out, they must get to some sort of shelter.

An old tree falls on Mason. He is horribly injured: his legs are paralyzed, his back is shattered, and his internal organs are disrupted. Everyone realizes that Mason can’t go any further, and the dogs can’t drag him.

The victim knew his wife was expecting a baby and asked a buddy to leave him and rescue Ruth. Although Kid doesn’t want to leave his friend to his certain death, he has to leave with his wife to make sure she survives.