Белый клык
The Enemy of His Kind
Thereseemeduntoldnumbersofthesewhitemen. Inthefirstdayorso,hesawmoreofthemthanhehadseenIndiansinallhislife; andasthedayswentbytheycontinuedtocomeuptheriver,stop,andthengoonuptheriveroutofsight.
Butifthewhitegodswereall-powerful,theirdogsdidnotamounttomuch. ThisWhiteFangquicklydiscoveredbymixingwiththosethatcameashorewiththeirmasters. Theywereirregularshapesandsizes. Somewereshort-legged—tooshort; otherswerelong-legged—toolong. Theyhadhairinsteadoffur,andafewhadverylittlehairatthat. Andnoneofthemknewhowtofight.
Asanenemyofhiskind,itwasinWhiteFang’sprovincetofightwiththem. Thishedid,andhequicklyachievedforthemamightycontempt. Theyweresoftandhelpless,mademuchnoise,andflounderedaroundclumsilytryingtoaccomplishbymainstrengthwhatheaccomplishedbydexterityandcunning. Theyrushedbellowingathim. Hesprangtotheside. Theydidnotknowwhathadbecomeofhim;andinthatmomenthestruckthemontheshoulder,rollingthemofftheirfeetanddeliveringhisstrokeatthethroat.
Sometimesthisstrokewassuccessful,andastrickendogrolledinthedirt,tobepounceduponandtorntopiecesbythepackofIndiandogsthatwaited. WhiteFangwaswise. Hehadlongsincelearnedthatthegodsweremadeangrywhentheirdogswerekilled. Thewhitemenwerenoexceptiontothis. Sohewascontent,whenhehadoverthrownandslashedwidethethroatofoneoftheirdogs,todropbackandletthepackgoinanddothecruelfinishingwork. Itwasthenthatthewhitemenrushedin,visitingtheirwrathheavilyonthepack,whileWhiteFangwentfree. Hewouldstandoffatalittledistanceandlookon,whilestones,clubs,axes,andallsortsofweaponsfelluponhisfellows. WhiteFangwasverywise.
