Поклик предків
The Toil of Trace and Trail
Itwasasimplemattertogivethedogslessfood;butitwasimpossibletomakethedogstravelfaster,whiletheirowninabilitytogetunderwayearlierinthemorningpreventedthemfromtravellinglongerhours. Notonlydidtheynotknowhowtoworkdogs,buttheydidnotknowhowtoworkthemselves.
ThefirsttogowasDub. Poorblunderingthiefthathewas,alwaysgettingcaughtandpunished,hehadnonethelessbeenafaithfulworker. Hiswrenchedshoulder-blade,untreatedandunrested,wentfrombadtoworse,tillfinallyHalshothimwiththebigColt’srevolver. ItisasayingofthecountrythatanOutsidedogstarvestodeathontherationofthehusky,sothesixOutsidedogsunderBuckcoulddonolessthandieonhalftherationofthehusky. TheNewfoundlandwentfirst,followedbythethreeshort-hairedpointers,thetwomongrelshangingmoregrittilyontolife,butgoingintheend.
BythistimealltheamenitiesandgentlenessesoftheSouthlandhadfallenawayfromthethreepeople. Shornofitsglamourandromance,Arctictravelbecametothemarealitytooharshfortheirmanhoodandwomanhood. Mercedesceasedweepingoverthedogs,beingtoooccupiedwithweepingoverherselfandwithquarrellingwithherhusbandandbrother. Toquarrelwastheonethingtheywerenevertoowearytodo. Theirirritabilityaroseoutoftheirmisery,increasedwithit,doubleduponit,outdistancedit.
