Белый клык

           Thereweredeepsinhisnaturewhichhadneverbeensounded. Akindword,acaressingtouchofthehand,onthepartofGreyBeaver,mighthavesoundedthesedeeps; butGreyBeaverdidnotcaress,norspeakkindwords. Itwasnothisway. Hisprimacywassavage,andsavagelyheruled,administeringjusticewithaclub,punishingtransgressionwiththepainofablow,andrewardingmerit,notbykindness,butbywithholdingablow. 

           SoWhiteFangknewnothingoftheheavenaman’shandmightcontainforhim. Besides,hedidnotlikethehandsoftheman-animals. Hewassuspiciousofthem. Itwastruethattheysometimesgavemeat,butmoreoftentheygavehurt. Handswerethingstokeepawayfrom. Theyhurledstones,wieldedsticksandclubsandwhips,administeredslapsandclouts,and,whentheytouchedhim,werecunningtohurtwithpinchandtwistandwrench. Instrangevillageshehadencounteredthehandsofthechildrenandlearnedthattheywerecrueltohurt. Also,hehadoncenearlyhadaneyepokedoutbyatoddlingpapoose. Fromtheseexperienceshebecamesuspiciousofallchildren. Hecouldnottoleratethem. Whentheycamenearwiththeirominoushands,hegotup. 

           ItwasinavillageattheGreatSlaveLake,that,inthecourseofresentingtheevilofthehandsoftheman-animals,hecametomodifythelawthathehadlearnedfromGreyBeaver:namely,thattheunpardonablecrimewastobiteoneofthegods. Inthisvillage,afterthecustomofalldogsinallvillages,WhiteFangwentforaging,forfood. Aboywaschoppingfrozenmoose-meatwithanaxe,andthechipswereflyinginthesnow. WhiteFang,slidingbyinquestofmeat,stoppedandbegantoeatthechips. Heobservedtheboylaydowntheaxeandtakeupastoutclub. WhiteFangsprangclear,justintimetoescapethedescendingblow. Theboypursuedhim,andhe,astrangerinthevillage,fledbetweentwotepeestofindhimselfcorneredagainstahighearthbank.