Зов предков
The Law of Club and Fang
Perraultnoddedgravely. AscourierfortheCanadianGovernment,bearingimportantdespatches,hewasanxioustosecurethebestdogs,andhewasparticularlygladdenedbythepossessionofBuck.
Threemorehuskieswereaddedtotheteaminsideanhour,makingatotalofnine,andbeforeanotherquarterofanhourhadpassedtheywereinharnessandswingingupthetrailtowardtheDyeaCanon. Buckwasgladtobegone,andthoughtheworkwashardhefoundhedidnotparticularlydespiseit. Hewassurprisedattheeagernesswhichanimatedthewholeteamandwhichwascommunicatedtohim; butstillmoresurprisingwasthechangewroughtinDaveandSol-leks. Theywerenewdogs,utterlytransformedbytheharness. Allpassivenessandunconcernhaddroppedfromthem. Theywerealertandactive,anxiousthattheworkshouldgowell,andfiercelyirritablewithwhatever,bydelayorconfusion,retardedthatwork. Thetoilofthetracesseemedthesupremeexpressionoftheirbeing,andallthattheylivedforandtheonlythinginwhichtheytookdelight.
Davewaswheelerorsleddog,pullinginfrontofhimwasBuck,thencameSol-leks; therestoftheteamwasstrungoutahead,singlefile,totheleader,whichpositionwasfilledbySpitz.
BuckhadbeenpurposelyplacedbetweenDaveandSol-lekssothathemightreceiveinstruction. Aptscholarthathewas,theywereequallyaptteachers,neverallowinghimtolingerlonginerror,andenforcingtheirteachingwiththeirsharpteeth. Davewasfairandverywise. HenevernippedBuckwithoutcause,andheneverfailedtoniphimwhenhestoodinneedofit. AsFrancois’swhipbackedhimup,Buckfoundittobecheapertomendhiswaysthantoretaliate. Once,duringabriefhalt,whenhegottangledinthetracesanddelayedthestart,bothDaveandSolleksflewathimandadministeredasoundtrouncing.
