Зов предков
Into the Primitive
Againandagain,ashelookedateachbrutalperformance,thelessonwasdrivenhometoBuck: amanwithaclubwasalawgiver,amastertobeobeyed,thoughnotnecessarilyconciliated. OfthislastBuckwasneverguilty,thoughhedidseebeatendogsthatfawnedupontheman,andwaggedtheirtails,andlickedhishand. Alsohesawonedog,thatwouldneitherconciliatenorobey,finallykilledinthestruggleformastery.
Nowandagainmencame,strangers,whotalkedexcitedly,wheedlingly,andinallkindsoffashionstothemanintheredsweater. Andatsuchtimesthatmoneypassedbetweenthemthestrangerstookoneormoreofthedogsawaywiththem. Buckwonderedwheretheywent,fortheynevercameback; butthefearofthefuturewasstronguponhim,andhewasgladeachtimewhenhewasnotselected.
Yethistimecame,intheend,intheformofalittleweazenedmanwhospatbrokenEnglishandmanystrangeanduncouthexclamationswhichBuckcouldnotunderstand.
"Sacredam!"hecried,whenhiseyeslituponBuck."Datonedambullydog!Eh?Howmoch?"
"Threehundred,andapresentatthat,"wasthepromptreplyofthemanintheredsweater. "Andseem’it’sgovernmentmoney,youain’tgotnokickcoming,eh,Perrault?"
Perraultgrinned. Consideringthatthepriceofdogshadbeenboomedskywardbytheunwonteddemand,itwasnotanunfairsumforsofineananimal. TheCanadianGovernmentwouldbenoloser,norwoulditsdespatchestraveltheslower. Perraultknewdogs,andwhenhelookedatBuckheknewthathewasoneinathousand—"Oneintent’ousand,"hecommentedmentally.
