To Build A Fire by Jack London

Read this story tonight on the Jack London Website. Most have heard of London's books Call of the Wild and White Fang and such but he was a prolific author who wrote a great deal of short stories. This is one I have often heard mention of.

It is a simple story, ten minutes of your life. You will be rewarded. In the story London introduces us to a man traveling deep into the Artic. He estimates the temperature at 50 below but he is making good time and looks forward to arriving to his camp and having an entertaining night with his friends. He even takes a moment to chide in his mind an old timer who told him to never travel alone when it is this cold.

More than two thirds of the way to his campsite he goes thru the ice where an underground stream had weakened it. Knowing he must dry his feet he builds a fire. The last half of the story surrounds the building of that fire and what happens if when you are in the Deep Artic and struggle to build that fire. The story reads like a suspense novel, it is hard to believe that the only thing we are waiting on is will he be able to build a fire before he freezes to death.

This is a great story.