Francois fastened upon him an arrangement of straps and buckles. Spitz ran out his tongue and laughed again, and from that moment Buck hated him with a bitter and deathless hatred.īefore he had recovered from the shock caused by the tragic passing of Curly, he received another shock. Well, he would see to it that he never went down. The scene often came back to Buck to trouble him in his sleep. But she lay there limp and lifeless in the bloody, trampled snow, almost literally torn to pieces, the swart half-breed standing over her and cursing horribly. Two minutes from the time Curly went down, the last of her assailants were clubbed off. Three men with clubs were helping him to scatter them. He saw Spitz run out his scarlet tongue in a way he had of laughing and he saw Francois, swinging an axe, spring into the mess of dogs. So sudden was it, and so unexpected, that Buck was taken aback. They closed in upon her, snarling and yelping, and she was buried, screaming with agony, beneath the bristling mass of bodies. She never regained them, This was what the onlooking huskies had waited for. He met her next rush with his chest, in a peculiar fashion that tumbled her off her feet. Curly rushed her antagonist, who struck again and leaped aside. Buck did not comprehend that silent intentness, nor the eager way with which they were licking their chops. Thirty or forty huskies ran to the spot and surrounded the combatants in an intent and silent circle. It was the wolf manner of fighting, to strike and leap away but there was more to it than this.
There was no warning, only a leap in like a flash, a metallic clip of teeth, a leap out equally swift, and Curly's face was ripped open from eye to jaw. They were camped near the log store, where she, in her friendly way, made advances to a husky dog the size of a full-grown wolf, though not half so large as she. It is true, it was a vicarious experience, else he would not have lived to profit by it. He had never seen dogs fight as these wolfish creatures fought, and his first experience taught him an unforgetable lesson. They were savages, all of them, who knew no law but the law of club and fang. There was imperative need to be constantly alert for these dogs and men were not town dogs and men. All was confusion and action, and every moment life and limb were in peril. Here was neither peace, nor rest, nor a moment's safety. No lazy, sun-kissed life was this, with nothing to do but loaf and be bored. He had been suddenly jerked from the heart of civilization and flung into the heart of things primordial. Every hour was filled with shock and surprise.
You should visit Browse Happy and update your internet browser today!īuck's first day on the Dyea beach was like a nightmare. The embedded audio player requires a modern internet browser.