Білий ікол

           WhiteFangwasintelligentbeyondtheaverageofhiskind;yethismentalvisionwasnotwideenoughtoembracetheotherbankoftheMackenzie. Whatifthetrailofthegodsledoutonthatside? Itneverenteredhishead. Lateron,whenhehadtravelledmoreandgrownolderandwiserandcometoknowmoreoftrailsandrivers,itmightbethathecouldgraspandapprehendsuchapossibility. Butthatmentalpowerwasyetinthefuture. Justnowheranblindly,hisownbankoftheMackenziealoneenteringintohiscalculations. 

           Allnightheran,blunderinginthedarknessintomishapsandobstaclesthatdelayedbutdidnotdaunt. Bythemiddleoftheseconddayhehadbeenrunningcontinuouslyforthirtyhours,andtheironofhisfleshwasgivingout. Itwastheenduranceofhismindthatkepthimgoing. Hehadnoteateninfortyhours,andhewasweakwithhunger. Therepeateddrenchingsintheicywaterhadlikewisehadtheireffectonhim. Hishandsomecoatwasdraggled. Thebroadpadsofhisfeetwerebruisedandbleeding. Hehadbeguntolimp,andthislimpincreasedwiththehours. Tomakeitworse,thelightoftheskywasobscuredandsnowbegantofall—araw,moist,melting,clingingsnow,slipperyunderfoot,thathidfromhimthelandscapehetraversed,andthatcoveredovertheinequalitiesofthegroundsothatthewayofhisfeetwasmoredifficultandpainful. 

           GreyBeaverhadintendedcampingthatnightonthefarbankoftheMackenzie,foritwasinthatdirectionthatthehuntinglay. Butonthenearbank,shortlybeforedark,amoosecomingdowntodrink,hadbeenespiedbyKloo-kooch,whowasGreyBeaver’ssquaw. Now,hadnotthemoosecomedowntodrink,hadnotMit-sahbeensteeringoutofthecoursebecauseofthesnow,hadnotKloo-koochsightedthemoose, andhadnotGreyBeaverkilleditwithaluckyshotfromhisrifle,allsubsequentthingswouldhavehappeneddifferently.