Белый клык
The Enemy of His Kind
HewastheWild—theunknown,theterrible,theever-menacing, thethingthatprowledinthedarknessaroundthefiresoftheprimevalworldwhenthey,coweringclosetothefires,werereshapingtheirinstincts,learningtofeartheWildoutofwhichtheyhadcome,andwhichtheyhaddesertedandbetrayed. Generationbygeneration,downallthegenerations,hadthisfearoftheWildbeenstampedintotheirnatures. ForcenturiestheWildhadstoodforterroranddestruction. Andduringallthistimefreelicencehadbeentheirs,fromtheirmasters,tokillthethingsoftheWild. Indoingthistheyhadprotectedboththemselvesandthegodswhosecompanionshiptheyshared.
Andso,freshfromthesoftsouthernworld,thesedogs,trottingdownthegang-plankandoutupontheYukonshorehadbuttoseeWhiteFangtoexperiencetheirresistibleimpulsetorushuponhimanddestroyhim. Theymightbetown-reareddogs,buttheinstinctivefearoftheWildwastheirsjustthesame. Notalonewiththeirowneyesdidtheyseethewolfishcreatureintheclearlightofday,standingbeforethem. Theysawhimwiththeeyesoftheirancestors,andbytheirinheritedmemorytheyknewWhiteFangforthewolf,andtheyrememberedtheancientfeud.
AllofwhichservedtomakeWhiteFang’sdaysenjoyable. Ifthesightofhimdrovethesestrangedogsuponhim,somuchthebetterforhim,somuchtheworseforthem. Theylookeduponhimaslegitimateprey,andaslegitimatepreyhelookeduponthem.
Notfornothinghadhefirstseenthelightofdayinalonelylairandfoughthisfirstfightswiththeptarmigan,theweasel,andthelynx. AndnotfornothinghadhispuppyhoodbeenmadebitterbythepersecutionofLip-lipandthewholepuppypack. Itmighthavebeenotherwise,andhewouldthenhavebeenotherwise.
