Part 4
The Enemy of His Kind
HadtherebeeninWhiteFang’snatureanypossibility,nomatterhowremote,ofhisevercomingtofraternisewithhiskind,suchpossibilitywasirretrievablydestroyedwhenhewasmadeleaderofthesled-team. Fornowthedogshatedhim—hatedhimfortheextrameatbestoweduponhimbyMit-sah; hatedhimforalltherealandfanciedfavourshereceived; hatedhimforthathefledalwaysattheheadoftheteam,hiswavingbrushofatailandhisperpetuallyretreatinghind-quartersforevermaddeningtheireyes.
AndWhiteFangjustasbitterlyhatedthemback. Beingsled-leaderwasanythingbutgratifyingtohim. Tobecompelledtorunawaybeforetheyellingpack,everydogofwhich,forthreeyears,hehadthrashedandmastered,wasalmostmorethanhecouldendure. Butendureithemust,orperish,andthelifethatwasinhimhadnodesiretoperishout. ThemomentMit-sahgavehisorderforthestart,thatmomentthewholeteam,witheager,savagecries,sprangforwardatWhiteFang.
Therewasnodefenceforhim. Ifheturneduponthem,Mit-sahwouldthrowthestinginglashofthewhipintohisface. Onlyremainedtohimtorunaway. Hecouldnotencounterthathowlinghordewithhistailandhind-quarters. Thesewerescarcelyfitweaponswithwhichtomeetthemanymercilessfangs. Sorunawayhedid,violatinghisownnatureandpridewitheveryleaphemade,andleapingalldaylong.
Onecannotviolatethepromptingsofone’snaturewithouthavingthatnaturerecoiluponitself. Sucharecoilislikethatofahair,madetogrowoutfromthebody,turningunnaturallyuponthedirectionofitsgrowthandgrowingintothebody—arankling,festeringthingofhurt. AndsowithWhiteFang.
