Thepressuresandstressesbecameterrific。Hugecakesoficeweresqueezedouttilltheypoppedintotheairlikemelonseedssqueezedfrombetweenthethumbandforefingerofachild，whileallalongthebanksawalloficewasforcedup。Whenthejambroke，thenoiseofgrindingandsmashingredoubled。Foranotherhourtheruncontinued。Theriverfellrapidly。
Butthewalloficeontopthebank，andextendingdownintothefallingwater，remained。
Thetailoftheice-runpassed，andforthefirsttimeinsixmonthsDaylightsawopenwater。HeknewthattheicehadnotyetpassedoutfromtheupperreachesoftheStewart，thatitlayinpacksandjamsinthoseupperreaches，andthatitmightbreaklooseandcomedowninasecondrunanytime；buttheneedwastoodesperateforhimtolinger。Elijahwassofargonethathemightpassatanymoment。Asforhimself，hewasnotsurethatenoughstrengthremainedinhiswastedmusclestolaunchtheboat。Itwasallagamble。Ifhewaitedforthesecondice-run，Elijahwouldsurelydie，andmostprobablyhimself。Ifhesucceededinlaunchingtheboat，ifhekeptaheadofthesecondice-run，ifhedidnotgetcaughtbysomeoftherunsfromtheupperYukon；ifluckfavoredinalltheseessentialparticulars，aswellasinascoreofminorones，theywouldreachSixtyMileandbesaved，if——andagaintheif——hehadstrengthenoughtolandtheboatatSixtyMileandnotgoby。
Hesettowork。Thewalloficewasfivefeetabovethegroundonwhichtheboatrested。Firstprospectingforthebestlaunching-place，hefoundwhereahugecakeoficeshelvedupwardfromtheriverthatranfifteenfeetbelowtothetopofthewall。Thiswasascoreoffeetaway，andattheendofanhourhehadmanagedtogettheboatthatfar。Hewassickwithnauseafromhisexertions，andattimesitseemedthatblindnesssmotehim，forhecouldnotsee，hiseyesvexedwithspotsandpointsoflightthatwereasexcruciatingasdiamond-dust，hisheartpoundingupinhisthroatandsuffocatinghim。Elijahbetrayednointerest，didnotmovenoropenhiseyes；andDaylightfoughtouthisbattlealone。Atlast，fallingonhiskneesfromtheshockofexertion，hegottheboatpoisedonasecurebalanceontopthewall。Crawlingonhandsandknees，heplacedintheboathisrabbit-skinrobe，therifle，andthepail。Hedidnotbotherwiththeax。Itmeantanadditionalcrawloftwentyfeetandback，andiftheneedforitshouldarisehewellknewhewouldbepastallneed。
Elijahprovedabiggertaskthanhehadanticipated。Afewinchesatatime，restinginbetween，hedraggedhimoverthegroundandupabrokenrubbleoficetothesideoftheboat。Butintotheboathecouldnotgethim。Elijah’slimpbodywasfarmoredifficulttoliftandhandlethananequalweightoflikedimensionsbutrigid。Daylightfailedtohoisthim，forthebodycollapsedatthemiddlelikeapart-emptysackofcorn。