Белый клык
The Mad God
Suddenlyhesnapped,strikingwithhisfangslikeasnake.Thehandwasjerkedback,andtheteethcametogetheremptilywithasharpclick. BeautySmithwasfrightenedandangry. GreyBeavercloutedWhiteFangalongsidethehead,sothathecowereddownclosetotheearthinrespectfulobedience.
WhiteFang’ssuspiciouseyesfollowedeverymovement. HesawBeautySmithgoawayandreturnwithastoutclub. ThentheendofthethongwasgivenovertohimbyGreyBeaver. BeautySmithstartedtowalkaway. Thethonggrewtaut. WhiteFangresistedit. GreyBeavercloutedhimrightandlefttomakehimgetupandfollow. Heobeyed,butwitharush,hurlinghimselfuponthestrangerwhowasdragginghimaway. BeautySmithdidnotjumpaway.Hehadbeenwaitingforthis.Heswungtheclubsmartly,stoppingtherushmidwayandsmashingWhiteFangdownupontheground. GreyBeaverlaughedandnoddedapproval. BeautySmithtightenedthethongagain,andWhiteFangcrawledlimplyanddizzilytohisfeet.
Hedidnotrushasecondtime. Onesmashfromtheclubwassufficienttoconvincehimthatthewhitegodknewhowtohandleit,andhewastoowisetofighttheinevitable. SohefollowedmoroselyatBeautySmith’sheels,histailbetweenhislegs,yetsnarlingsoftlyunderhisbreath. ButBeautySmithkeptawaryeyeonhim,andtheclubwasheldalwaysreadytostrike.
AtthefortBeautySmithlefthimsecurelytiedandwentintobed. WhiteFangwaitedanhour. Thenheappliedhisteethtothethong,andinthespaceoftensecondswasfree. Hehadwastednotimewithhisteeth.Therehadbeennouselessgnawing. Thethongwascutacross,diagonally,almostascleanasthoughdonebyaknife. WhiteFanglookedupatthefort,atthesametimebristlingandgrowling.
