Белый клык
The Makers of Fire
Theyhalfcircledabouteachother,tentatively,snarlingandbristling. Thislastedseveralminutes,andWhiteFangwasbeginningtoenjoyit,asasortofgame. Butsuddenly,withremarkableswiftness,Lip-lipleapedin,deliveringaslashingsnap,andleapedawayagain. Thesnaphadtakeneffectontheshoulderthathadbeenhurtbythelynxandthatwasstillsoredeepdownnearthebone. ThesurpriseandhurtofitbroughtayelpoutofWhiteFang; butthenextmoment,inarushofanger,hewasuponLip-lipandsnappingviciously.
ButLip-liphadlivedhislifeincampandhadfoughtmanypuppyfights. Threetimes,fourtimes,andhalfadozentimes,hissharplittleteethscoredonthenewcomer,untilWhiteFang,yelpingshamelessly,fledtotheprotectionofhismother. ItwasthefirstofthemanyfightshewastohavewithLip-lip,fortheywereenemiesfromthestart,bornso,withnaturesdestinedperpetuallytoclash.
KichelickedWhiteFangsoothinglywithhertongue,andtriedtoprevailuponhimtoremainwithher. Buthiscuriositywasrampant, andseveralminuteslaterhewasventuringforthonanewquest. Hecameupononeoftheman-animals,GreyBeaver,whowassquattingonhishamsanddoingsomethingwithsticksanddrymossspreadbeforehimontheground. WhiteFangcameneartohimandwatched. GreyBeavermademouth-noiseswhichWhiteFanginterpretedasnothostile,sohecamestillnearer.
WomenandchildrenwerecarryingmoresticksandbranchestoGreyBeaver. Itwasevidentlyanaffairofmoment. WhiteFangcameinuntilhetouchedGreyBeaver’sknee,socuriouswashe,andalreadyforgetfulthatthiswasaterribleman-animal. SuddenlyhesawastrangethinglikemistbeginningtoarisefromthesticksandmossbeneathGreyBeaver’shands.
