Зов предков
The Law of Club and Fang
HehadonepeculiaritywhichBuckwasunluckyenoughtodiscover. Hedidnotliketobeapproachedonhisblindside. OfthisoffenceBuckwasunwittinglyguilty,andthefirstknowledgehehadofhisindiscretionwaswhenSol-lekswhirleduponhimandslashedhisshouldertotheboneforthreeinchesupanddown. ForeverafterBuckavoidedhisblindside,andtothelastoftheircomradeshiphadnomoretrouble. Hisonlyapparentambition,likeDave’s,wastobeleftalone; though,asBuckwasafterwardtolearn,eachofthempossessedoneotherandevenmorevitalambition.
ThatnightBuckfacedthegreatproblemofsleeping. Thetent,illuminedbyacandle,glowedwarmlyinthemidstofthewhiteplain; andwhenhe,asamatterofcourse,enteredit,bothPerraultandFrancoisbombardedhimwithcursesandcookingutensils,tillherecoveredfromhisconsternationandfledignominiouslyintotheoutercold. Achillwindwasblowingthatnippedhimsharplyandbitwithespecialvenomintohiswoundedshoulder. Helaydownonthesnowandattemptedtosleep,butthefrostsoondrovehimshiveringtohisfeet. Miserableanddisconsolate,hewanderedaboutamongthemanytents,onlytofindthatoneplacewasascoldasanother. Hereandtheresavagedogsrusheduponhim,buthebristledhisneck-hairandsnarled(forhewaslearningfast),andtheylethimgohiswayunmolested.
Finallyanideacametohim. Hewouldreturnandseehowhisownteam-matesweremakingout. Tohisastonishment,theyhaddisappeared. Againhewanderedaboutthroughthegreatcamp,lookingforthem,andagainhereturned. Weretheyinthetent? No,thatcouldnotbe,elsehewouldnothavebeendrivenout. Thenwherecouldtheypossiblybe? Withdroopingtailandshiveringbody,veryforlornindeed,heaimlesslycircledthetent. Suddenlythesnowgavewaybeneathhisforelegsandhesankdown. Somethingwriggledunderhisfeet.
