Rom “the king of mazy may”
by jack london
lifting clear on the crest of a great jam off indian river, walt masters met with his first
accident. a bullet sang past his ears, and struck the bad lead dog.
the poor brute plunged in a heap, with the rest of the team on top of him.
like a flash walt was by the leader. cutting the traces with his hunting knife, he dragged the
dying animal to one side and straightened out the team.
he glanced back. the other sled was coming up like an express train. with half the dogs still
over their traces, he cried “mush on! ” and leaped upon the sled just as the pursuers dashed
abreast of him.
the irishman was preparing to spring for him—they were so sure they had him that they did
not shoot—when walt turned fiercely upon them with his whip. he struck at their faces, and
men must save their faces with their hands. so there was no shooting just then. before they
could recover from the hot rain of blows, walt reached out from his sled, catching their
wheel dog by the forelegs in midspring, and throwing him heavily. this snarled the team,
capsizing the sled and tangling his enemies up beautifully.
away walt flew, the runners of his sled fairly screaming as they bounded over the frozen
surface. and what had seemed an accident proved to be a blessing in disguise. the proper
lead dog was now to the fore, and he stretched low and whined with joy as he his
comrades along.
by the time he reached ainslie’s creek, seventeen miles from dawson, walt had left his
pursuers, a tiny speck, far behind. at monte cristo island he could no longer see them. and
at swede creek, just as daylight was silvering the pines, he ran plump into the camp of old
loren hall.
almost as quick as it takes to tell it, loren had his sleeping furs rolled up, and had joined
walt on the sled. they permitted the dogs to travel more slowly, as there was no sign of the
chase in the rear, and just as they pulled up at the gold commissioner’s office in dawson,
walt, who had kept his eyes open to the last, fell asleep.
and because of what walt masters did on this night, the men of the yukon have become
proud of him, and speak of him now as the king of mazy may.

6. which detail you predict that walt is in danger? (1 point)
the poor brute plunged in a heap, with the rest of the team on top of him.
like a flash, walt was the leader. cutting the traces with his hunting knife, he dragged the
the other sled was coming up like an express train. with half the dogs still over their traces,

and at swede creek, just as daylight was silvering the pines, he ran plump into the camp of

7. use the passage to answer the questions.
a theme of “the king of mazy may” is
(1 point)
trust your friends
what's on the inside is what matters
with persistence, you can accomplish your goal
bravery can you outlast an opponent
8. which detail best supports your answer to the previous question? (1 point)
the poor brute plunged in a heap, with the rest of the team on top of him.
the proper lead dog was now to the fore, and he stretched low and whined with joy as he j-er-ks
and at swede creek, just as daylight was silvering the pines, he ran plump into the camp of o
this snarled the team, capsizing the sled and tangling his enemies up beautifully.