Draw Conclusions Throughout the story, the man remembers "the old-timer on Sulphur Creek" and his advice. Find examples and note the man's response at each
point in the story when he remembers the old-timer's advice. What conclusions can
you draw about the man's character based on these thoughts?

He is arrogant, vain, naïve, called the old- timer "womanish", and dismissed the advice of the accustomed natives. Therefore, the author's attitude towards the man is that he is not thinking about the dangers of traveling in the cold, setting him up for failure.

Throughout the story, the protagonist slowly realizes that he's in big trouble, and this dawning awareness is reflected in his changing attitude toward the old-timer: "the old-timer on Sulphur Creek had told him about [freezing feet], and now he was appreciating the advice" (

roses are red,

violets are black,

for what you said,

i hope you sit on a big fat tack.