Білий ікол
The Battle of the Fangs
Forgotten,saveonce,whenoldOneEyestoppedforamomenttolickhisstiffeningwounds. Thenitwasthathislipshalfwrithedintoasnarl,andthehairofhisneckandshouldersinvoluntarilybristled, whilehehalfcrouchedforaspring,hisclawsspasmodicallyclutchingintothesnow-surfaceforfirmerfooting. Butitwasallforgottenthenextmoment,ashesprangaftertheshe-wolf,whowascoylyleadinghimachasethroughthewoods.
Afterthattheyransidebyside,likegoodfriendswhohavecometoanunderstanding. Thedayspassedby,andtheykepttogether,huntingtheirmeatandkillingandeatingitincommon. Afteratimetheshe-wolfbegantogrowrestless. Sheseemedtobesearchingforsomethingthatshecouldnotfind. Thehollowsunderfallentreesseemedtoattracther,andshespentmuchtimenosingaboutamongthelargersnow-piledcrevicesintherocksandinthecavesofoverhangingbanks. OldOneEyewasnotinterestedatall,buthefollowedhergood-naturedlyinherquest,andwhenherinvestigationsinparticularplaceswereunusuallyprotracted,hewouldliedownandwaituntilshewasreadytogoon.
Theydidnotremaininoneplace,buttravelledacrosscountryuntiltheyregainedtheMackenzieRiver, downwhichtheyslowlywent,leavingitoftentohuntgamealongthesmallstreamsthatenteredit, butalwaysreturningtoitagain. Sometimestheychanceduponotherwolves,usuallyinpairs; buttherewasnofriendlinessofintercoursedisplayedoneitherside,nogladnessatmeeting,nodesiretoreturntothepack-formation. Severaltimestheyencounteredsolitarywolves. Thesewerealwaysmales,andtheywerepressinglyinsistentonjoiningwithOneEyeandhismate. Thisheresented,andwhenshestoodshouldertoshoulderwithhim,bristlingandshowingherteeth, theaspiringsolitaryoneswouldbackoff,turn-tail,andcontinueontheirlonelyway.
