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The story begins with Tom Vincent traveling in the Klondike in Canada. Vincent leaves Calumet Club to reach Paul Creek in the extreme conditions of a January day in northern Canada where the weather is sixty degrees below zero.
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Tom Vincent was a determined, physically strong, and independent fellow who did not believe in needing help.
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As Tom reaches for his biscuits and begins eating he realizes his hands cannot take the freezing conditions and he is forced to put his mittens back on.
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Vincent continues traveling in the severe conditions while his lips become solid and his mustache becomes ice.
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Vincent began crossing the frozen pond in confidence that it would sustain his weight.
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In the middle of the pond that Vincent was crossing, the ice broke and although the pond was shallow the water froze Vincent’s feet and ankles.
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Vincent strikes a match and lights it. Only seconds later he moves a stick which causes snow to fall on the small fire and extinguish it.
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Vincent makes another attempt to start a fire to warm his numb feet but drops the match in the snow.
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After the matches fail him Vincent runs as fast as he can to get out of the weather but has no where to go.
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Again Vincent tries to strike a match and light a pile of braches but his burning hands let the matches fall into the snow and the fire is put out.
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Vincent decides to let his hands burn because he reasons that burned hands are better than no hands and even no hands is better than death. The fire burns Vincent’s flesh but he endures the pain to save himself and his fire spreads.
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The fire reverses the effects of the frost and the next day Vincent limped to safety at the Cherry Creek Divide camp. Vincent gains the ability to walk after a month of healing but he has scars that will remain with him his entire life.