Зов предков
Who Has Won to Mastership
Sometimes,inthetraces,whenjerkedbyasuddenstoppageofthesled,orbystrainingtostartit,hewouldcryoutwithpain. Thedriverexaminedhim,butcouldfindnothing. Allthedriversbecameinterestedinhiscase. Theytalkeditoveratmeal-time,andovertheirlastpipesbeforegoingtobed,andonenighttheyheldaconsultation. Hewasbroughtfromhisnesttothefireandwaspressedandproddedtillhecriedoutmanytimes. Somethingwaswronginside,buttheycouldlocatenobrokenbones,couldnotmakeitout.
BythetimeCassiarBarwasreached,hewassoweakthathewasfallingrepeatedlyinthetraces. TheScotchhalf-breedcalledahaltandtookhimoutoftheteam,makingthenextdog,Sol-leks,fasttothesled. HisintentionwastorestDave,lettinghimrunfreebehindthesled. Sickashewas,Daveresentedbeingtakenout,gruntingandgrowlingwhilethetraceswereunfastened,andwhimperingbroken-heartedlywhenhesawSol-leksinthepositionhehadheldandservedsolong. Fortheprideoftraceandtrailwashis,and,sickuntodeath,hecouldnotbearthatanotherdogshoulddohiswork.
Whenthesledstarted,heflounderedinthesoftsnowalongsidethebeatentrail,attackingSol-lekswithhisteeth,rushingagainsthimandtryingtothrusthimoffintothesoftsnowontheotherside, strivingtoleapinsidehistracesandgetbetweenhimandthesled,andallthewhilewhiningandyelpingandcryingwithgriefandpain.
