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The Sounding of the Call
Thiswassufficienttoflingthewholepackforward,pell-mell,crowdedtogether,blockedandconfusedbyitseagernesstopulldowntheprey. Buck’smarvellousquicknessandagilitystoodhimingoodstead. Pivotingonhishindlegs,andsnappingandgashing,hewaseverywhereatonce,presentingafrontwhichwasapparentlyunbrokensoswiftlydidhewhirlandguardfromsidetoside. Buttopreventthemfromgettingbehindhim,hewasforcedback,downpastthepoolandintothecreekbed,tillhebroughtupagainstahighgravelbank. Heworkedalongtoarightangleinthebankwhichthemenhadmadeinthecourseofmining,andinthisanglehecametobay,protectedonthreesidesandwithnothingtodobutfacethefront.
Andsowelldidhefaceit,thatattheendofhalfanhourthewolvesdrewbackdiscomfited. Thetonguesofallwereoutandlolling,thewhitefangsshowingcruellywhiteinthemoonlight. Somewerelyingdownwithheadsraisedandearsprickedforward; othersstoodontheirfeet,watchinghim; andstillotherswerelappingwaterfromthepool. Onewolf,longandleanandgray,advancedcautiously,inafriendlymanner,andBuckrecognizedthewildbrotherwithwhomhehadrunforanightandaday. Hewaswhiningsoftly,and,asBuckwhined,theytouchednoses.
Thenanoldwolf,gauntandbattle-scarred,cameforward. Buckwrithedhislipsintothepreliminaryofasnarl,butsniffednoseswithhim. Whereupontheoldwolfsatdown,pointednoseatthemoon,andbrokeoutthelongwolfhowl.
