Білий ікол

           Lifehadathousandfaces,andWhiteFangfoundhemustmeetthemall —thus,whenhewenttotown,intoSanJose,runningbehindthecarriageorloafingaboutthestreetswhenthecarriagestopped. Lifeflowedpasthim,deepandwideandvaried,continuallyimpinginguponhissenses,demandingofhiminstantandendlessadjustmentsandcorrespondences,andcompellinghim,almostalways,tosuppresshisnaturalimpulses. 

           Therewerebutcher-shopswheremeathungwithinreach. Thismeathemustnottouch. Therewerecatsatthehousesthemastervisitedthatmustbeletalone. Andthereweredogseverywherethatsnarledathimandthathemustnotattack. Andthen,onthecrowdedsidewalkstherewerepersonsinnumerablewhoseattentionheattracted. Theywouldstopandlookathim,pointhimouttooneanother,examinehim,talkofhim,and,worstofall,pathim. Andtheseperilouscontactsfromallthesestrangehandshemustendure. Yetthisenduranceheachieved. Furthermore,hegotoverbeingawkwardandself-conscious. Inaloftywayhereceivedtheattentionsofthemultitudesofstrangegods. Withcondescensionheacceptedtheircondescension. Ontheotherhand,therewassomethingabouthimthatpreventedgreatfamiliarity. Theypattedhimontheheadandpassedon,contentedandpleasedwiththeirowndaring. 

           ButitwasnotalleasyforWhiteFang. RunningbehindthecarriageintheoutskirtsofSanJose,heencounteredcertainsmallboyswhomadeapracticeofflingingstonesathim. Yetheknewthatitwasnotpermittedhimtopursueanddragthemdown. Herehewascompelledtoviolatehisinstinctofself-preservation,andviolateithedid,forhewasbecomingtameandqualifyinghimselfforcivilisation. 

           Nevertheless,WhiteFangwasnotquitesatisfiedwiththearrangement. Hehadnoabstractideasaboutjusticeandfairplay.