At a place called "the Five Fingers," the dog food gives out completely, but the men are able to trade a revolver for some frozen, dried horsehide, which the dogs find irritating and indigestible.
Hal continues to beat the dogs, and those that are left can hardly pull the sled, especially with the additional weight of Mercedes on it. The fierce winter has now given away to spring, but there is no food, and as the last reserve strength of the dogs fades, they arrive at John Thornton's camp.
Thornton is an experienced man of the North, and he immediately perceives that Hal has achieved all of his boastful tasks only by one ploy — by severely punishing the dogs. Thus, when it is time to leave Thornton's camp, Buck, who has always been able to somehow summon an extra measure of strength, simply refuses to move. Instinctively, he knows that with the coming of spring that these inept new "masters" do not know how to cope with the dangers that the melting snow and ice will present. London says: "It seemed that Buck sensed disaster close at hand, out there ahead on the ice." Therefore, despite the tremendous blows administered by Hal, Buck refuses to move, and, ultimately, John Thornton, "convulsed with rage" at Hal's merciless stupidity, steps between Hal and Buck, and he threatens Hal's life if he strikes Buck again. Hitting Hal's knuckles with his ax handle, Thornton knocks Hal's knife loose and uses it to cut Buck loose from his harness. Meanwhile, Hal and Charles are too busy with Mercedes to retaliate against Thornton, and, before long, Buck raises his head just in time to see the other four dogs — Pike, Solleks, Joe, and Teek — limping and staggering across the thawing ice. As Buck and Thornton watch, they see a yawning hole in the middle of a patch of ice, and then a whole section of the ice gives way, and all of them — dogs and humans — disappear.
