Белый клык

           Theurgeofhisawakenedinstinctoffatherhoodwasstronguponhim. Hemustfindmeat. Intheafternoonheblundereduponaptarmigan. Hecameoutofathicketandfoundhimselffacetofacewiththeslow-wittedbird. Itwassittingonalog,notafootbeyondtheendofhisnose. Eachsawtheother. Thebirdmadeastartledrise,buthestruckitwithhispaw, andsmasheditdowntoearth,thenpounceduponit,andcaughtitinhisteethasitscuttledacrossthesnowtryingtoriseintheairagain. Ashisteethcrunchedthroughthetenderfleshandfragilebones,hebegannaturallytoeat. Thenheremembered,and,turningontheback-track,startedforhome,carryingtheptarmiganinhismouth. 

           Amileabovetheforks,runningvelvet-footedaswashiscustom,aglidingshadowthatcautiouslyprospectedeachnewvistaofthetrail, hecameuponlaterimprintsofthelargetrackshehaddiscoveredintheearlymorning. Asthetrackledhisway,hefollowed,preparedtomeetthemakerofitateveryturnofthestream. 

           Heslidhisheadaroundacornerofrock,wherebegananunusuallylargebendinthestream, andhisquickeyesmadeoutsomethingthatsenthimcrouchingswiftlydown. Itwasthemakerofthetrack,alargefemalelynx. Shewascrouchingashehadcrouchedoncethatday,infrontofherthetight-rolledballofquills. Ifhehadbeenaglidingshadowbefore,henowbecametheghostofsuchashadow,ashecrept andcircledaround,andcameupwelltoleewardofthesilent,motionlesspair. 

           Helaydowninthesnow,depositingtheptarmiganbesidehim,andwitheyespeeringthroughtheneedlesofalow-growingsprucehewatchedtheplayoflifebeforehim —thewaitinglynxandthewaitingporcupine,eachintentonlife.