Білий ікол
The Clinging Death
ThiswasnotwithoutitseffectonWhiteFang. Thehairbegantoriseonhisneckandacrosstheshoulders. TimKeenangaveafinalshoveforwardandsteppedbackagain. AstheimpetusthatcarriedCherokeeforwarddieddown,hecontinuedtogoforwardofhisownvolition,inaswift,bow-leggedrun. ThenWhiteFangstruck. Acryofstartledadmirationwentup. Hehadcoveredthedistanceandgoneinmorelikeacatthanadog;andwiththesamecat-likeswiftnesshehadslashedwithhisfangsandleapedclear.
Thebull-dogwasbleedingbackofoneearfromaripinhisthickneck. Hegavenosign,didnotevensnarl,butturnedandfollowedafterWhiteFang. Thedisplayonbothsides,thequicknessoftheoneandthesteadinessoftheother,hadexcitedthepartisanspiritofthecrowd,andthemenweremakingnewbetsandincreasingoriginalbets. Again,andyetagain,WhiteFangsprangin,slashed,andgotawayuntouched,andstillhisstrangefoefollowedafterhim,withouttoogreathaste,notslowly,butdeliberatelyanddeterminedly,inabusinesslikesortofway. Therewaspurposeinhismethod—somethingforhimtodothathewasintentupondoingandfromwhichnothingcoulddistracthim.
Hiswholedemeanour,everyaction,wasstampedwiththispurpose. ItpuzzledWhiteFang. Neverhadheseensuchadog. Ithadnohairprotection.Itwassoft,andbledeasily. TherewasnothickmatoffurtobaffleWhiteFang’steethastheywereoftenbaffledbydogsofhisownbreed. Eachtimethathisteethstrucktheysankeasilyintotheyieldingflesh,whiletheanimaldidnotseemabletodefenditself. Anotherdisconcertingthingwasthatitmadenooutcry,suchashehadbeenaccustomedtowiththeotherdogshehadfought. Beyondagrowloragrunt,thedogtookitspunishmentsilently.Andneverdiditflaginitspursuitofhim.
