Then they turned, went back, and lifted her on again. Buck and the other dogs were now just skin and bone. They pulled when they could, and when they couldn't they lay down in the snow. When they were whipped, they stood up and tried to pull again. One day Billee fell and could not stand up. Hal killed him and threw him into the snow. Buck and the other dogs knew that soon they were going to die, too. On the next day Koona died, and there were only five dogs left: Joe, Pike, Sol-leks the one-eyed, Teek, and Buck. It was beautiful spring weather. The snow and ice were melting, the plants were growing, and the forest animals were waking from their winter sleep. It was a lovely morning when the two men, and the five dogs pulling Mercedes on the sledge, came into John Thornton's camp at White River. They stopped, and the dogs dropped down immediately to rest. John Thornton was mending an axe, and he went on working as he talked to Hal. 'Is it safe to cross the river here?' asked Hal. 'No, the ice is too thin. It's much too dangerous,' answered Thornton. 'People have told us that before,' laughed Hal, 'but we got here with no problems.' 'Only somebody very stupid would cross the White River here,' said Thornton. 'That's what you think,' said Hal. 'But we've got to get to Dawson.' He picked up his whip. 'Come on, Buck! Get up now! Let's go!' Thornton went on working. He had warned them, but he knew he couldn't stop these stupid men from going on. But Buck didn't get up. Sol-leks stood up slowly, then Teek and Joe, and finally Pike. But Buck stayed where he was. The whip came down onhim again and again. Thornton started to speak, then stopped, and began to walk up and down. Hal now put down his whip and started to hit Buck with a club. But Buck had decided not to get up. He had felt thin ice under his feet all day and he saw thin ice in front of him. The club hit him again and again, but Buck felt almost nothing. Then suddenly, with a wild cry, John Thornton jumped on Hal, throwing him backwards. Mercedes screamed. 'If you hit that dog again, I'll kill you,' Thornton shouted. 'He's my dog,' Hal replied. There was blood on his face. 'Get out of my way, or I'll hit you, too. I'm going to Dawson.'