The Call of the Wild 
by Jack London

1  To the north

  

Buck did not read the newspapers£® He did not know that trouble was coming for every big dog in California£® Men had found gold in the Yukon£¬ and these men wanted big£¬ strong dogs to work in the cold and snow of the north£®

Buck lived in Mr Miller's big house in the sunny Santa Clara valley There were large gardens and fields of fruit trees around the house£¬ and a river nearby£® In a big place like this£¬of course£¬ there were many dogs There were house dogs and farm dogs£¬ but they were not important£®Buck was chief dog£»he was born here£¬ and this was his place £®He was four years old and weighed sixty kilos £®He went swimming with Mr Miller's sons£¬and walking with his daughters £®He carried the grandchildren on his back£¬ and he sat at Mr Miller's feet in front of the fire in winter£®

But this was 1897£¬ and Buck did not know that men and dogs were hurrying to north-west Canada to look for gold£®And he did not know that Manuel£¬ one of Mr Miller's garden£­ers£¬ needed money for his large family£® One day£¬when Mr Miller was out£¬ Manuel and Buck left the garden together£®It was just an evening walk£¬ Buck thought£®No one saw them go£¬ and only one man saw them arrive at the railway station£®This man talked to Manuel£¬ and gave him some money £®Then he tied a piece of rope around Buck's neck£®

Buck growled£¬ and was surprised when the rope was pulled hard around his neck£®He jumped at the man£®The man caught him and suddenly Buck was on his back with his tongue out of his mouth£® For a few moments he was unable to move£¬ and it was easy for the two men to put him into the train£®

When Buck woke up£¬ the train was still moving£® The man was sitting and watching him£¬ but Buck was too quick for him and he bit the man's hand hard£®Then the rope was pulled again and Buck had to let go£®

That evening£¬ the man took Buck to the back room of a bar in San Francisco£® The barman looked at the man's hand and trousers covered in blood£®

¡®How much are they paying you for this£¿¡¯he asked£®

¡®I only get fifty dollars£®¡¯

¡®And the man who stole him¡ªhow much did he get£¿¡¯ asked the barman£®

¡®A hundred£® He wouldn't take less£®¡¯

¡®That makes a hundred and fifty£® It's a good price for a dog like him £®Here£¬ help me to get him into this£®¡¯

They took off Buck's rope and pushed him into a wooden box£® He spent the night in the box in the back room of the bar£® His neck still ached with pain from the rope£¬ and he could not understand what it all meant £® What did they want with him£¬ these strange men£¿ And where was Mr Miller£¿

The next day Buck was carried in the box to the railway station and put on a train

to the north£®

For two days and nights the train travelled north£¬ and for two days and nights Buck neither ate nor drank£® Men on the train laughed at him and pushed sticks at him through the holes in the box£® For two days and nights Buck got angrier and hungrier and thirsti-er£® His eyes grew red and he bit anything that moved£®

In Seattle four men took Buck to a small£¬ high£­walled back garden£¬ where a fat man in an old red coat was waiting£® Buck was now very angry indeed and hejumped and bit at the sides of his box£® The fat man smiled and went to get an axe and a club£®

¡®Are you going to take him out now£¿¡¯ asked one of the men£® ¡®Of course£¬¡¯ answered the fat man£¬ and he began to break the box with his axe£®

Immediately the four other men climbed up onto the wall to watch from a safe place£®

As the fat man hit the box with his axe£¬ Buck jumped at the sides£¬ growling and biting£¬ pulling with his teeth at the pieces of broken wood£® After a few minutes there was a hole big enough for Buck to get out£® ¡® Now£¬ come here£¬ red eyes£¬¡¯ said the fat man£¬ dropping his axe and taking the club in his right hand£®

Buck jumped at the man£¬ sixty kilos of anger£¬ his mouth wide open ready to bite the man's neck£® Just before his teeth touched the skin£¬ the man hit him with the club£® Buck fell to the ground£® It was the first time anyone had hit him with a club and he did not understand£® He stood up£¬ and jumped again£® Again the club hit him and he crashed to the ground£®Ten times he jumped at the man£¬ and ten times the club hit him£® Slowly he got to his feet£¬ now only just able to stand£®There was blood on his nose and mouth and ears£® Then the fat man walked up and hit him again£¬ very hard£¬ on the nose£®The pain was terrible£® Again£¬ Buck jumped at the man and again he was hit to the ground£®A last time he jumped£¬ and this time£¬ when the man knocked him down£¬ Buck did not move£®

¡®He knows how to teach a dog a lesson£¬¡¯ said one of the men on the wall£® Then the four men jumped down and went back to the station£®

¡®His name is Buck£¬¡¯said the fat man to himself£¬ reading the letter that had come with the box£®¡®Well£¬ Buck£¬ my by£¬¡¯he said in a friendly voice£¬¡®we've argued a little£¬ and I think the best thing to do now is to stop£® Be a good dog and we'll be friends£® But if you're a bad dog£¬ I'll have to use my club again£®Understand£¿¡¯

As he spoke£¬ he touched Buck¡¯ s head£¬ and although Buck was angry inside£¬ he did not move£® When the man brought him water and meat£¬ Buck drank and then ate the meat£¬ piece by piece£¬ from the man's hand£®

Buck was beaten£¨he knew that£© but he was not broken£® He had learnt that a man with a club was stronger than him£®Every day he saw more dogs arrive£¬ and each dog was beaten by the fat man£® Buck understood that a man with a club must be obeyed£¬ although he did not have to be a friend£®

Men came to see the fat man and to look at the dogs£® Some-times they paid money and left with one or more of the dogs£®One day a short£¬ dark man came and looked at Buck£®

¡®That's a good dog£¡¡¯ he cried£®¡®How much do you want for him£¿¡¯

¡®Three hundred dollars£® It's a good price£¬ Perrault£¬¡¯said the fat man£®

Perrault smiled and agreed that it was a good price£® He knew dogs£¬ and he knew that Buck was an excellent dog£®

¡®One in ten thousand£¬¡¯ Perrault said to himself£®

Buck saw money put into the fat man¡¯ s hand£¬ and he was not surprised when he and another dog called Curly were taken away by Perrault£® He took them to a ship£¬ and later that day Buck and Curly stood and watched the coast get further and further away£®They had seen the warm south for the last time£®

Perrault took Buck and Curly down to the bottom of the ship£® There they met another man£¬ Francois£® Perrault was a French£­Canadian£¬ but Francois was half£­Indian£¬tall and dark£®Buck learnt quickly that Perrault and Francois were fair men£¬calm and honest£® And they knew everything about dogs£®

There were two other dogs on the ship£®One was a big dog called Spitz£¬ as white as snow£® He was friendly to Buck at first£¬ always smiling£® He was smiling when he tried to steal Buck¡¯ s food at the first meal£® Francois was quick and hit Spitz before Buck had time to move£® Buck decided that this was fair£¬ and began to like Francois a little£®

Dave£¬ the other dog£¬ was not friendly£® He wanted to be alone all the time£® He ate and slept and was interested in nothing£®

One day was very like another£¬ but Buck noticed that the weather was getting colder£® One morning£¬ the ship's engines stopped£¬ and there was a feeling of excitement in the ship£®Francois leashed the dogs and took them outside£® At the first step Buck's feet went into something soft and white£® He jumped back in surprise£® The soft£¬ white thing was also falling through the air£¬ and it fell onto him£® He tried to smell it£¬ and then caught some on his tongue£® It bit like fire£¬ and then dis appeared£® He tried again and the same thing happened£® People were watching him and laughing£¬ and Buck felt ashamed£¬although he did not know why£® It was his first snow£®

2  The law of club and tooth

  

Buck's first day at Dyea Beach was terrible£® Every hour there was some new£¬ frightening surprise£® There was no peace£¬ no rest¡ªonly continual noise and movement£® And every minute there was danger£¬ because these dogs and men were not town dogs and men£® They knew only the law of club and tooth£®

Buck had never seen dogs fight like these dogs£» they were like wolves£® In a few minutes he learnt this from watching Curly£® She tried to make friends with a dog£¬ a big one£¬ al£­though not as big as she was£® There was no warning£® The dog jumped on Curly£¬ his teeth closed together£¬ then he jumped away£¬and Curly's face was torn open from eye to mouth£®

Wolves fight like this£¬biting and jumping away£¬but the fight did not finish then£® Thirty or forty more dogs ran up and made a circle around the fight£¬ watching silently£® Curly tried to attack the dog who had bitten her£» he bit her a second time£¬ and jumped away£® When she attacked him again£¬ he knocked her backwards£¬ and she fell on the ground£® She never stood up again£¬ because this was what the other dogs were waiting for£® They moved in£¬ and in a moment she was under a crowd of dogs£®

It was all very sudden£® Buck saw Spitz run out from the crowd with his tongue out of his mouth£¬ laughing£® Then he saw Francois with an axe£¬ and two or three other men with clubs jump in among the dogs£® Two minutes later the last of the dogs was chased away£® But Curly lay dead in the snow£¬her body torn almost to pieces£®Curly's death often came backto Buck in his dreams£® He understood that once a dog was down on the ground£¬ he was dead He also remembered Spitz laughing£¬ and from that moment he hated him£®

Then Buck had another surprise£® Francois put a harness on him£® Buck had seen harnesses on horses£¬ and now he was made to work like a horse£¬ pulling Francois on a sledge into the forest and returning with wood for the fire£® Buck worked with Spitz and Dave£®The two other dogs had worked in a har£­ness before£¬ and Buck learnt by watching them£® He also learnt to stop and turn when Francois shouted£®

¡®Those three are very good dogs£¬¡¯Francois told Perrault£®¡®That Buck pulls very well£¬ and he's learning quickly£®¡¯

Perrault had important letters and official papers to take to Dawson City£¬ so that afternoon he bought two more dogs£¬ two brothers called Billee and Joe£®Billee was very friendly£¬ but Joe was the opposite£® In the evening Perrault bought one more dog£¬ an old dog with one eye £®His name was Sol-leks£¬ which means The Angry One£® Like Dave£¬ he made no friends£» all he wanted was to be alone£®

That night Buck discovered another problem£® Where was he going to sleep£¿Francois and Perrault were in their tent£¬ but when he went in£¬ they shouted angrily and threw things at him£®Outside it was very cold and windy£® He lay down in the snow£¬ but he was too cold to sleep£®

He walked around the tents trying to find the other dogs£®But£¬ to his surprise£¬ they had disappeared£® He walked around Perrault's tent£¬very£¬ very cold£¬ wondering what to do£® Sud-denly£¬ the snow under his feet fell in£¬ and he felt something move£® He jumped back£¬ waiting for the attack£¬ but heard on-ly a friendly bark£® There£¬ in a warm hole under the snow£¬was Billee£®

So that was what you had to do£® Buck chose a place£¬ dug himself a hole and in a minute he was warm and asleep£® He slept well£¬ although his dreams were bad£®

When he woke up£¬ at first he did not know where he was£®It had snowed in the night and the snow now lay thick and heavy above him£® Suddenly he was afraid¡ªthe fear of a wild animal when it is caught and cannot escape£® Growling£¬ he threw himself at the snow£¬ and a moment later£¬ he had jumped upwards into the daylight£® He saw the tents and re£­membered everything£¬ from the time he had gone for a walk with Manuel to the moment he had dug the hole the night before£® ¡®What did I say£¿¡¯ shouted Francois to Perrault£¬ when he saw Buck come up out of the snow£®¡®That Buck learns quickly£®¡¯

Perrault smiled slowly£® He was carrying important papers£¬and he needed good dogs£® He was very pleased to have Buck£®

They bought three more dogs that morning£¬ and a quarter of an hour later all nine dogs were in harness and on their way up the Dyea Canyon£® Buck was not sorry to be moving£¬ and although it was hard work£¬ he almost enjoyed it£® He was also surprised to see that Dave and Sol£­leks no longer looked bored and miserable£®Pulling in a harness was their job£¬ and they were happy to do it£®

Dave was sledge£­dog£¬ the dog nearest to the sledge£®In front of him was Buck£¬ then came Sol-leks£® In front of them were the six other dogs£¬ with Spitz as leader at the front£® Francois had put Buck between Dave and Sol£­leks because they could teach him the work£®Buck learnt well£¬and they were good teachers£® When Buck pulled the wrong way£¬ Dave always bit his leg£¬ but only lightly£® Once£¬ when they stopped£¬ Buck got tied up in his harness£¬ and it took ten minutes to get started again£®Both Dave and Sol£­leks gave him a good beating for that mistake£® Buck understood£¬ and was more careful after that£®

It was a hard day's journey£¬ up the Dyea Canyon and into the mountains£® They camped that night at Lake Bennett£®Here there were thousands of gold miners£®They were building boats to sail up the lake when the ice melted in the spring£®Buck made his hole in the snow and slept well£¬ but was woken up very early and harnessed to the sledge£® The first day they had travelled on snow that had been hardened by many sledges and they covered sixty kilometres£® But the next day£¬ and for days afterwards£¬ they were on new snow£® The work was harder and they went slowly£® Usually£¬ Perrault went in front£¬on snowshoes£¬ flattening the snow a little for the dogs£®Francois stayed by the sledge£® Sometimes the two men changed places£¬ but there were many small lakes and rivers£¬and Perrault understood ice better£® He always knew when the ice across a river was very thin£®

Day after day Buck pulled in his harness£®They started in the morning before it was light£¬ and they stopped in the evening after dark£¬ ate a piece of fish£¬ and went to sleep in their holes under the snow£® Buck was always hungry£® Francoisgave him 750 grams of dried fish a day£¬ and it was never enough£® The other dogs were given only 500 grams£» they were smaller and could stay dive on less food£®

Buck learnt to eat quickly£» if he was too slow£¬ the other dogs stole his food£® He saw Pike£¬ one of the new dogs£¬ steal some meat from the sledge when Perrault wasn't looking£®The next day Buck stole some and got away unseen£® Perrault was very angry£¬ but he thought another dog£¬ Dub£¬ had taken it and so punished him instead of Buck£®

Buck was learning how to live in the north£® In the south he had never stolen£¬ but there he had never been so hungry£® He stole cleverly and secretly£¬ remembering the beatings from the man with the club£®

Buck was learning the law of club and tooth£®

He learnt to eat any food¡ªanything that he could get his teeth into£® He learnt to break the ice on water holes with his feet when he wanted to drink He was stronger£¬ harder£¬ and could see and smell better than ever before £®In a way£¬he was remembering back to the days when wild dogs travelled in packs through the forest£¬ killing for meat as they went£®It was easy for him to learn to fight like a wolf£¬ because it was in his blood£® In the evenings£¬ when he pointed his nose at the moon and howled long and loud£¬ he was remembering the dogs and wolves that had come before him£®



3  The wild animal

  

The wild animal was strong in Buck£¬ and as he travelled across the snow£¬ it grew stronger and stronger£® And as Buck grew stronger£¬ he hated Spitz more and more£¬ although he was careful never to start a fight£®

But Spitz was always showing his teeth to Buck£¬ trying to start a fight£® And Buck knew that if he and Spitz fought£¬ one of them would die£®

The fight almost happened one night when they stopped by Lake Laberge£®There was heavy snow and it was very cold£®The lake was frozen and Francois£¬ Perrault£¬ and the dogs had to spend the night on the ice£¬ under a big rock£® Buck had made a warm hole in the snow and was sorry to leave it to get his piece of fish£® But when he had eaten£® and returned to his hole£¬ he found Spitz in it£® Buck had tried not to fight Spitz be£­fore£¬ but this was too much£® He attacked him angrily£® Spitz was surprised£® He knew Buck was big£¬ but he didn¡¯ t know he was so wild£® Francois was surprised too£¬ and guessed why Buck was angry£® ¡®Go on Buck£¡¡¯ he shouted£®¡®Fight him£¬ the dirty thief£¡¡¯

Spitz was also ready to fight£¬ and the two dogs circled one another£¬ looking for the chance to jump in£® But suddenly there was a shout from Perrault£¬ and they saw eighty or a hundred dogs around the sledge£® The dogs came from an Indian village£¬and they were searching for the food that they could smell on the sledge£® Perrault and Francois tried to fight them off with their clubs£¬ but the dogs£¬ made crazy by the smell of the food£¬showed their teeth and fought back£®

Buck had never seed dogs like these£® They were all skin and bone£¬ but hunger made them fight like wild things£®Three of them attacked Buck and in seconds his head and legs were bad£­ly bitten£®Dave and Sol-leks stood side by side£¬covered in blood£¬fighting bravely£® Joe and Pike jumped on one dog£¬and Pike broke its neck with one bite£®Buck caught another dog by the neck and tasted blood£® He threw himself on the next one£¬and then felt teeth in his own neck£®It was Spitz£¬attacking him from the side£®

Perrault and Francois came to help with clubs£¬ but then they had to run back to save the food £® It was safer for the nine sledge£­dogs to run away across the lake£® Several of them were badly hurt£¬ and they spent an unhappy night hiding among the tress£®

At first light they returned to the sledge and found Perrault and Francois tired and angry£®Half their food was gone£®The Indian dogs had even eaten one of Perrault's shoes£®Francois looked at his dogs unhappily£®

¡®Ah£¬ my friends£¬¡¯he said softly£¬¡®Perhaps those bites will make you ill£®What do you think£¬ Perrault£¿¡¯

Perrault said nothing£® They still had six hundred kilometres to travel£¬ and he hoped very much that his sledge£­dogs had not caught rabies from the Indian dogs£®

The harness was torn and damaged and it was two hours be£­fore they were moving£¬ travelling slowly and painfully over the most difficult country that they had been in£®

The Thirty Mile River was not frozen£® It ran too fast to freeze£® They spent six days trying to find a place to cross£¬ and every step was dangerous for dogs and men£® Twelve times they found ice bridges across the river£¬ and Perrault walked carefully onto them£¬ holding a long piece of wood£® And twelve times he fell through a bridge and was saved by the piece of wood£¬ which caught on the sides of the hole£®But the tempera-ture was 45¡ã below zero£¬ and each time Perrault fell into the water£¬ he had to light a fire to dry and warm himself£® Once£¬the sledge fell through the ice£¬ with Dave and Buck£¬ and they were covered in ice by the time Perrault and Francois pulled them out of the river£®Again£¬ a fire was needed to save them£®Another time£¬ Spitz and the dogs in front fell through the ice¡ªBuck and Dave and Francois at the sledge had to pull backwards£®That day they travelled only four hundred metres£®

When they got to the Hootalinqua and good ice£¬ Buck and the other dogs were very£¬ very tired£® But they were late£¬ so Perrault made them run faster£® In three days they went a hun£­dred and eighty kilometres and reached the Five Fingers£®

The other dogs had hard feet from years of pulling sledges£¬but Buck's feet were still soft from his easy life down south£®All day he ran painfully£¬ and when they camped for the night£¬he lay down like a dead dog£®He was hungry£¬but he was too tired to walk to the fish£¬ so Francois brought it to him£®One day Francois made four little shoes for him£¬ and this made Buck much more comfortable£® Francois forgot the shoes one morning£¬ and Buck refused to move£® He lay on his back with his feet in the air£¬ until Francois put the shoes on£® Later his feet grew harder and the shoes were not needed£®

One morning£¬ at the Pelly River£¬ a dog called Delly went suddenly mad£® She howled long and loud like a wolf and then jumped at Buck£® Buck ran£¬ with Dolly one step behind him£®She could not catch him£¬ but he could not escape from her£®They ran half a kilometre£¬ and then Buck heard Francois call to him£® He turned and ran towards the man£¬ sure that Francois would save him£® Francois stood £¬holding his axe£¬and as Buck passed£¬ the axe crashed down on Dolly's head£®

Buck fell down by the sledge£¬ too tired to move£® Immedi-ately£¬ Spitz attacked him and bit his helpless enemy twice£¬ as hard as he could£® But Francois saw this£¬ and gave Spitz a ter£­rible beating for it£®

¡®He's a wild dog£¬ that Spitz£¬¡¯said Perrault£®¡®One day he'll kill Buck£®¡¯

¡®Buck is wilder£¬¡¯replied Francois£®¡®I've been watching him£® One day he'll get very angry and he'll fight Spitz£» and he'll win£®¡¯ Francois was right£® Buck wanted to be lead-dog£®Spitz knew this and hated him£® Buck started to help the other dogs when Spitz punished them for being lazy£®One morning£¬ Pike refused to get up£¬ and Spitz looked for him everywhere£® When he found him£¬ he jumped at him£®But suddenly£¬ Buck at£­tacked Spitz£® The other dogs saw this£¬ and it became more and more difficult for Spitz to lead them£®But the days passed without a chance for a fight£¬ and soon they were pulling into Dawson City on a cold grey afternoon£®

They stayed in Dawson for seven days£® When they left£¬Perrault was carrying some more very important papers£¬ and he wanted to travel back as fast as possible£®

They travelled eighty kilometres the first day£¬ and the same the second£® But it was difficult work for Francois£® Buck and Spitz hated each other£¬ and the other dogs were not afraid of Spitz any more£® One night Pike stole half a fish from Spitz£¬and ate it standing next to Buck£® And every time Buck went near Spitz£¬ he growled and the hair on his back stood up angri-ly£® The other dogs fought in their harnesses and Francois often had to stop the sledge£®He knew that Buck was the problem£¬but Buck was too clever for him and Francois never saw him actually starting a fight£®

One night in camp£¬ the dogs saw a snow rabbit and in a sec-ond they were all chasing it£¬ with Spitz in front£® Nearby was another camp£¬ with fifty dogs£¬ who also Joined the chase£® The rabbit was running fast on top of the snow£¬ but the snow was soft£¬ and it was more difficult for the dogs£® When Spitz caught the rabbit£¬ throwing it in the air with his teeth£¬ Buck was just behind£® Spitz stopped£¬ and Buck hit him£¬ very hard£® The two dogs fell in the snow£® Spitz bit Buck very quickly£¬ twice£¬ and then jumped away£¬ watching carefully£®

The time had come£¬ and Buck knew that either he or Spitz must die£® They watched one another£¬ circling slowly£® Themoon was shining brightly on the snow£¬ and in the cold still air not a leaf moved on the trees£® The other dogs finished eating the rabbit and then turned to watch£®

Spitz was a good fighter£® He was full of hate and anger£¬ but he was also intelligent£® Every time Buck tried to bite his throat£¬ he met Spitz's own teeth£® Then£¬ each time Buck attacked£¬ Spitz moved and bit him on the side as he passed£®After a few minutes£¬Buck was covered in blood£®

He attacked again£¬ but this time turned at the last minute and went under Spitz£¬ biting his left front leg£® The bone broke£¬ and Spitz was standing on three legs£® Buck tried to knock Spitz down£¬ and then repeated his earlier attack and broke Spitz's right front leg£®

There was no hope for Spitz now£® Buck got ready for his final attack£¬ while the circle of sixty dogs watched£¬ and crowded nearer and nearer£¬ waiting for the end£® At last Buck jumped£¬ in and out£¬ and Spitz went down in the snow£® A second later the waiting pack was on top of him£¬ and Spitz had disappeared£® Buck stood and watched£® The wild animal had made its kill£®

  
4  The new lead-dog

  

¡®Well£¬ what did I say£¿ Buck¡¯ s a real fighter£¬all right£¬¡¯ said Francois the next morning when he discovered that Spitz had disappeared and that Buck was covered in blood£®

¡®Spitz fought like a wolf£¬¡¯said Perrault£¬ as he looked at the bites all over Buck£®

¡®And Buck fought like ten wolves£¬¡¯ answered Francois£®¡®And we'll travel faster now£® No more Spitz£¬ no more trouble£®¡¯

Francois started to harness the dogs£® He needed a new lead£­dog£¬ and decided that Sol-leks was the best dog that he had£®But Buck jumped at Sol£­leks and took his place£®

¡®Look at Buck£¡¡¯ said Francois£¬ laughing£®¡®He's killed Spitz£¬ and now he wants to be lead£­dog£® Go away£¬ Buck£¡¡¯

He pulled Buck away and tried to harness Sol£­leks again£®Sol-leks was unhappy too£® He was frightened of Buck£¬ and when Francois turned his back£¬ Buck took Sol-leks¡¯ place again£® Now Francois was angry£®

¡®I'll show you£¡¡¯ he cried£¬ and went to get a heavy club from the sledge£®

Buck remembered the man in the red coat£¬ and moved away£® This time£¬ when Sol-leks was harnessed as lead-dog£¬Buck did not try to move in£® He kept a few metres away and circled around Francois carefully£® But when Francois called him to his old place in front of Dave£¬ Buck refused£® He had won his fight with Spitz and he wanted to be lead£­dog£®

For an hour the two men tried to harness him£® Buck did not run away£¬ but he did not let them catch him£® Finally£¬Francois sat down£¬ and Perrault looked at his watch£®It was getting late£®The two men looked at one another and smiled Francois walked up to Sol-leks£¬ took off his harness£¬ led him back and harnessed him in his old place£®Then he called Buck£®All the other dogs were harnessed and the only empty place was now the one at the front But Buck did not move£®

¡®Put down the club£¬¡¯ said Perrault£®

Francois dropped the club£¬ and immediately Buck came up to the front of the team£®Francois harnessed him £¬and in a minute the sledge was moving£®

Buck was an excellent leader£® He moved and thought quick£­ly and led the other dogs well£® A new leader made no differ£­ence to Dave and Sol-leks£» they continued to pull hard £®But the other dogs had had an easy life when Spitz was leading£®They were surprised when Buck made them work hard and punished them for their mistakes Pike£¬ the second dog£¬was usually lazy£» but by the end of the first day he was pulling harder than he had ever pulled in his life£® The first night in camp Buck fought Joe£¬ another difficult dog£¬ and after that there were no more problems with him£® The team started to pull together£¬ and to move faster and faster£®

¡®I've never seen a dog like Buck£¡¡¯cried Francois£¬¡®Never£¡He's worth a thousand dollars £®What do you think£¬Perrault£¿¡¯

Perrault agreed£®They were moving quickly£¬ and covering more ground every day The snow was good and hard£¬ and no new snow fell£®The temperature dropped to 45¡ã below zero£¬and didn't change£®

This time there was more ice on the Thirty Mile River£¬ and they crossed in a day£®Some days they ran a hundred kilome£­tres£¬ or even more They reached Skagway in fourteen days£»the fastest time ever£®

For three days the dogs rested in Skagway£®Then Francois put his arms around Buck's neck and said goodbye to him£®And that was the last of Francois and Perrault£® Like other men£¬ they passed out of Buck's life for ever£®

Two new men took Buck and his team back north on the long journey to Dawson£¬travelling with several other dog£­teams£® It was heavy work£» the sledge was loaded with letters for the gold miners of Dawson£® Buck did not like it£¬ but he worked hard£¬ and made the other dogs work hard£¬ too£® Each day was the same£® They started early£¬ before it was light£¬ and at night they stopped and camped and the dogs ate£®For the dogs this was the best part of the day£¬ first eating£¬ then resting by the fire£®

Buck liked to lie by the fire£¬ looking at the burning wood£®Sometimes he thought about Mr Miller's house in California£®More of ten he remembered the man in the red coat and his club£¬ the death of Curly£¬ the fight with Spitz£¬ and the good things that he had eaten But sometimes he remembered other things These were things that he remembered through his parents£¬ and his parents parents£¬ and all the dogs which had lived before him£®

Sometimes as he lay there£¬ he seemed to see£¬ in a waking dream£¬ a different fire£® And he saw next to him£¬ not the Indian cook£¬ but another man£¬ a man with shorter legs£¬ and longer arms£® This man had long hair and deep eyes£¬ and madestrange noises in his throat He was very frightened of the dark£¬and looked around him all the time£¬ holding a heavy stone in his hand £®He wore the skin of an animal on his back£¬and Buck could see thick hair all over his body£®

Buck sat by the fire with this hairy man£¬ and in the circling darkness beyond the fire he could see many eyes¡ªthe eyes of hungry animals waiting to attack£® And he growled softly in his dream until the Indian cook shouted£¬¡®Hey£¬ Buck£¬ wake up£¡¡¯Then the strange world disappeared and Buck's eyes saw the real fire again£®

When they reached Dawson£¬ the dogs were tired£¬ and needed a week's rest But in two days they were moving south again£¬ with another heavy load of letters£® Both dogs and men were unhappy£® It snowed every day as well£¬ and on soft new snow it was harder work pulling the sledges£®

The men took good care of their dogs£®In the evenings£¬ the dogs ate first£¬the men second£¬and they always checked the dogs¡¯ feet before they slept£® But every day the dogs became weaker£®Buck had pulled sledges for three thousand kilometres that winter£¬ and he was as tired as the others£®

But Dave was not only tired£» he was ill£® Every evening he lay down the minute after the sledge stopped£¬ and did not stand up until morning£® The men looked at him£¬ but they could find no broken bones£® Something was wrong inside£®

One day he started to fall down while in his harness£® The sledge stopped£¬ and the driver took him out of his harness£® He wanted to give him a rest£¬ and let him run free behind the sledge£® But Dave did not want to stop working£® He hated to see another dog doing his work£¬ so he ran along beside the sledge£¬ trying to push Sol-leks out of his place£® When the sledge made its next stop£¬

Dave bit through Sol-leks¡¯ harness and pushed him away£® Then he stood there£¬ in his old place in front of the sledge£¬ waiting for his harness and the order to start pulling£®

The driver decided it was kinder to let him work£® Dave pulled all day£¬ but the next morning he was too weak to move£®The driver harnessed up without Dave£¬ and drove a few hun-dred metres£® Then he stopped£¬ took his gun£¬ and walked back£® The dogs heard a shot£¬ and then the man came quickly back£® The sledge started to move again£» but Buck knew£¬ and every dog knew£¬ what had happened£®

5  More hard work

  

Thirty days after leaving Dawson City£¬ the team arrived back in Skagway£® They were very£¬ very tired Buck now weighed only fifty kilograms£¬ and the other dogs were also very thin£®

They were not ill£» they just needed a long£¬ long rest£® But at Skagway there were mountains of letters waiting to go north£¬so the men had to buy new£¬ strong dogs The old ones£¬ now useless for work£¬ were sold£®

Two American men£¬ called Hal and Charles£¬ bought Buck and his team£¬ together with the harness£® Charles was forty years old£¬ with light hair and watery blue eyes£® Hal was a young man of twenty with a big shiny gun and a big knife in his belt £®These things£¬ more than anything£¬ showed how young he was Both men were clearly new to the north£¬ and its hard and dangerous life£®

They took the dogs back to their untidy camp£¬ where a woman was waiting £®This was Mercedes¡ªCharles's wife and Hal's sister£®

Buck watched the men take down the tent and load all their luggage on the sledge£® They didn't know how to do it sensibly£¬ and every time they put something on the sledge£¬Mercedes moved it£® Often they had to take things off the sledge and start again£®

Three men came up and watched£¬ laughing

¡®You've got a heavy load on that sledge£¬¡¯ said one of them ¡®Why don't you leave the tent here in Skagway£¿¡¯

¡®How could we live without a tent£¿¡¯ asked Mercedes£¬throwing up her hands in the air£®

¡®It's spring now£®You won't have any more cold weather£®¡¯

¡®I must have a tent£¬¡¯she answered£¬ and helped Charles and Hal with the last few boxes£®

¡®Do you think that load will stay on£¿¡¯asked another man£®

¡®Why shouldn't it£¿¡¯ asked Charles£®

¡®Well£¬ it's a bit heavy on top£® Do you think your dogs will be able to pull that£¿¡¯

¡®Of course they will£¬¡¯said Hal£® The sledge was now ready to go£®¡® Come on£¬dogs£¬ pull£¡¡¯ he shouted £®

The dogs pulled as hard as they could£¬ but the sledge did not move£®

¡®The lazy animals£¡¡¯shouted Hal£¬ picking up his whip£®

But Mercedes stopped him ¡®Oh£¬ Hal£¬ you mustn't£¬¡¯ she cried£¬ pulling the whip away from him £®¡®The poor dogs£®You must promise to be nice to them or I'm staying here£¡¡¯

¡®You know nothing about dogs£¬¡¯ answered Hal£®¡® Leave me alone Dogs are lazy£¬ and you have to whip them£® Everybody knows that£® Ask those men if you don't believe me£®¡¯

Mercedes turned and looked at the watching men£®

¡®They¡¯ re tired£¬ if you really want to know£¬¡¯ said one of them ¡®They¡¯ ve been working very hard and they need a rest£®¡¯

¡®Rest£¿¡¯laughed Hal£®¡®These stupid dogs are just lazy£®¡¯

Now Mercedes decided that her brother was right£®¡®Don't listen to that man£¬¡¯she said ¡®You're driving our dogs and you do what you think is best£®¡¯

Now Hal used his whip on the dogs. They pulled and pulled£¬but the sledge stayed where it was£®Hal was still using his whip when Mercedes stopped him again and put her arms around Buck£®

¡®You poor£¬poor dears£¬¡¯she said£®¡®Why don't you pull hard£¿¡ªthen nobody will whip you£®¡¯

One of the men watching now spoke again£®¡®I don't care what happens to you£¬¡¯ he said£¬¡®but I'm sorry for the dogs£®The sledge is frozen to the snow£¬and you'll have to break it out£® Push it from one side to the other to break the ice£®¡¯

Hal tried again£¬but this time he broke the ice under the sledge£®The heavy sledge started to move slowly£¬Buck and his team pulling hard under the whip£®After a hundred metres they had to turn into another street£®It was a difficult turn with a top-heavy load£¬and Hal was not a good driver£®As they turned£¬the sledge went over onto its side£¬throwing boxes and packets into the street£®The dogs didn't stop£® The sledge was not so heavy now and they pulled it easily on its side£®The whip had made them angry and they started to run£®Hal cried ¡®Stop£¡¡¯ but the dogs continued through Skagway£¬and the rest of the luggage fell off as they ran£®

People helped to catch the dogs and to pick up all the things from the street£® They also told the men that if they wanted to reach Dawson£¬they needed twice as many dogs and half as much luggage£®Hal and Charles went back to the camp and started to look at the luggage and throw things away£®Tent£¬blankets and plates were taken out£®Mercedes cried when most of her clothes went£®When they had finished£¬Mercedes was still crying£¬there was a lot of luggage on the road£¬and there was still a lot to go on the sledge£®

Then Charles and Hal went out and bought six more dogs£¬so they now had fourteen£® But the new dogs were not real sledge£­dogs and they knew nothing about the work£®Charles and Hal put them into harness£¬ but Buck could not teach them how to pull a sledge£®So now there were six dogs who couldn't pull at all£¬ and eight who were tired after pulling for four thousand kilometres£®But Charles and Hal were happy£®They had more dogs than any sledge that they had seen at Skagway£®They didn¡¯ t know that no sledge could carry enough food for fourteen dogs£®

The next morning Buck led the team up the street£®They moved slowly£¬ because they were tired before they started£®Buck had pulled to Dawson and back twice£¬and he didn't want to do it again£®He had watched Hal and Charles and Mercedes and he saw that they didn't know how to do any thing£®And£¬as the days passed£¬he saw that they could not learn£®It took them half the evening to get everything ready for the night£»and it took them half the morning to get ready to leave£® And when they did start£¬ they often had to stop because something had fallen off the sledge£®On some days they travelled twenty kilometres and on some days only ten£®

They didn't have enough dog food when they started£¬and they used what they had much too quickly£®Hal gave the dogs extra food because he wanted them to pull harder£®Mercedes gave them extra food because she was sorry for them£®But it was not food that they wanted£¬but rest£®

Soon Hal saw that they had travelled only a quarter of the way to Dawson£¬but had eaten half their food£®He had to give the dogs less food£® It was easy to give them less food£¬but it was impossible to make them travel faster£®

Dub had pulled hard and well all the way from Skagway£¬but he had hurt his leg£®It got worse and worse until finally Hal had to shoot him£®The six new dogs£¬now weak and ill from hunger and hard work£¬died next£®

Hal£¬Charles£¬and Mercedes had started the journey happily£»but now they were tired£¬cross and miserable£®Charles and Hal argued about everything£¬because each thought that he was working harder than the other£®And Mer cedes was unhappy because she thought that she shouldn't have to work£®She was tired£¬so she rode on the sledge£¬mak ing the work even harder for the dogs£®She rode for days£¬until the dogs could not move the sledge£®The men asked her to walk£¬but she would not leave the sledge£®One day they lifted her off£®She sat in the snow and did not move£®They went off with the sledge and travelled five kilometres£®Then they turned£¬went back£¬and lifted her on again£®

Buck and the other dogs were now just skin and bone£®They pulled when they could£¬and when they couldn't they lay down in the snow£®When they were whipped£¬they stood up and tried to pull again£®

One day Billee fell and could not stand up£®Hal killed him and threw him into the snow£® Buck and the other dogs knew that soon they were going to die£¬too£®On the next day Koona died£¬and there were only five dogs left£ºJoe£¬Pike£¬Sol£­leks the one£­eyed£¬Teek£¬and Buck£®

It was beautiful spring weather£®The snow and ice were melting£¬the plants were growing£¬and the forest animals were waking from their winter sleep£®It was a lovely morning when the two men£¬ and the five dogs pulling Mercedes on the sledge£¬came into John Thornton's camp at White River£®They stopped£¬and the dogs dropped down immediately to rest£®

John Thornton was mending an axe£¬and he went on working as he talked to Hal£®

¡®Is it safe to cross the river here£¿¡¯asked Hal£®

¡®No£¬the ice is too thin£®It's much too dangerous£¬answered Thornton£®

¡®People have told us that before£¬¡¯laughed Hal£¬¡®but we got here with no problems£®¡¯

¡®Only somebody very stupid would cross the White River here£¬¡¯said Thornton£®

¡®That's what you think£¬¡¯said Hal£®¡®But we've got to get to Dawson£®¡¯He pickd up his whip£®¡®Come on£¬Buck£¡Get up now£¡Let's go£¡¡¯

Thornton went on working£®He had warned them£¬but he knew he couldn't stop these stupid men from going on£®

But Buck didn't get up£®Sol-leks stood up slowly£¬then Teek and Joe£¬and finally Pike£®But Buck stayed where he was£®The whip came down on him again and again£®Thornton started to speak£¬then stopped£¬and began to walk up and down£®

Hal now put down his whip and started to hit Buck with a club£®But Buck had decided not to get up£®He had felt thin ice under his feet all day and he saw thin ice in front of him£®The club hit him again and again£¬but Buck felt almost nothing£®

Then suddenly£¬ with a wild cry£¬John Thornton jumped on Hal£¬throwing him backwards£®Mercedes screamed£®

¡®If you hit that dog again£¬I¡¯11 kill you£¬¡¯Thornton shouted£®

¡®He's my dog£¬¡¯Hal replied£®There was blood on his face£®¡®Get out of my way£¬or I¡¯11 hit you£¬too£®I'm going to Dawson£®¡¯

Thornton stood between Hal and Buck and did not move£®Hal took out his long knife£¬but Thornton knocked it out of his hand£®Mercedes screamed again£®Then Thornton picked up Hal's knife and cut Buck out of the harness£®

Hal didn't want to fight£¬and Buck was not worth fighting for£»he was nearly dead£® Hal started the sledge and went down towards the river£®Buck lifted his head and watched the sledge move away£®Pike was leading£¬and Joe£¬Teek and Sol£­leks were behind him£®Hal was walking in front of the sledge and Mercedes was riding on it£»Charles was walking behind£®

As Buck watched£¬Thornton felt his body with gentle hands£¬searching for broken bones£®Buck was very thin£¬very tired and very weak£¬but Thornton didn't think he was going to die£®Then both dog and man watched the sledge as it went slowly out on to the ice in the middle of the river£®Suddenly the back of the sledge went down and the front went up into the air£® Mercedes screamed£¬and Charles turned and took one step back£® Then a big piece of ice broke off£¬and dogs£¬sledge and people disappeared£»there was only a big hole in the ice£®

John Thornton and Buck looked at one another£®

¡®You poor thing£¬¡¯said John Thornton£¬and Buck licked his hand£®

6  For the love of a man

  

John Thornton had been ill in December£¬and his two friends had had to leave him at White River and go on to Dawson£®They left him in the camp with plenty of food £¬and with his two dogs£¬Skeet and Blackie£®Now the spring had come£¬and he was almost well£®He lay in the sun by the river with Buck£¬watching the water and listening to the birds£¬slowly getting stronger and stronger£®

A rest is very welcome after running five thousand kilome tres£¬and Buck slowly got fatter and stronger£®It was a peace ful£¬lazy time for both man and dogs while they waited for Thornton's friends to return from Dawson£®

Skeet made friends with Buck immediately£¬and while Buck was still very ill£¬ every morning she washed his cuts carefully with her tongue£®Blackie£¬too£¬was friendly£¬and as Buck grew stronger£¬the three dogs often played games together£®Sometimes Thornton joined the games too£®

The days passed very happily£¬and for the first time£¬Buck learned to love£¬He had never loved a man before£®He and Mr Miller in the Santa Clara valley had been very good friends£¬but Buck had not loved him£®John Thornton had saved his life£¬but he was also a man who was naturally kind to animals£®He took very good care of his dogs£¬not because it was sensible to do that£¬ but because he felt they were his children£® He was always talking to Buck£¬holding his head and shaking it lovingly£®In answer£¬Buck liked to take Thornton's hand gently in his mouth£®

Buck was happy to lie on the ground all day and watch Thornton And when Thornton spoke to him or touched him£¬Buck went wild with happiness£® At first£¬ he was afraid that Thornton was going to disappear£¬like Perrault and Francois£¬and at night he sometimes woke up and went to the tent to make sure that he was still there£®

But something was changing in Buck£®He had lived in the north a long time now£¬and he was almost a wild dog£®He was happy to sit by Thornton's fire£¬but he sat as a wild animal£¬and his dreams were filled with other animals¡ªdogs£¬ half wolves£¬and wild wolves£®They seemed to call him into the forest£¬and sometimes Buck wanted to leave the fire and answer the call£®But every time he went into the trees£¬his love for Thornton brought him back£®

It was only Thornton who stopped him going into the forest£®Other men did not interest him£®Visitors to the camp tried to make friends with him£¬but Buck stayed cold£®When Thornton's two friends£¬Hans and Pete£¬arrived from Dawson£¬Buck refused to notice them at first£®Then he saw that they were friends of Thornton's and after that he accept ed them£»but they were not his friends They were£¬like Thornton£¬kind men£¬and they understood that Buck loved Thornton£¬and him alone£®

Thornton£¬too£¬understood Buck£®One day£¬Buck and the three men were sitting on some high rocks£¬ a hundred metres above the river£®Thornton wondered if Buck would obey any order£¬ even a crazy one£®¡®Jump£¬Buck£¡¡¯he shouted£¬pointing down to the river£®A second later the three men were holding Buck back as he tried to jump£®

¡®That was very strange£¬¡¯said Pete£¬ when they had sat down again£®

¡®Not strange£»wonderful£¬¡¯said Thornton£®¡®Terrible£¬too£®Sometimes it frightens me£®¡¯

¡®Yes£®I feel sorry for any man who hits you when Buck's near£¬¡¯said Pete£®

¡®So do I£¬¡¯said Hans£®

It happened in the autumn in Circle City£®A man called Bur ton was starting a fight with another man in a bar£®Thornton stepped between them to try to stop them£®Buck was£¬as usual£¬lying in the corner watching£®Burton hit Thornton and he nearly fell£¬just catching a table£®Buck flew through the air at Burton's throat£®Burton saved his life by putting up his arm£¬and was thrown on to the ground£¬with Buck on top of him£®Buck took his teeth out of the man's arm and this time bit into his throat£®Then a crowd of people pulled Buck off£¬and a doctor was called£®Everyone agreed that Buck had only attacked because he saw Thornton in danger£¬and from that day Buck's name became famous all over the north£®

Later that year£¬Buck saved Thornton in a different way£®The three men were taking a boat down a fast and rocky river£®Thornton was in the boat£¬while Hans and Pete moved along the river bank£¬holding the boat with a rope£®Buck followed them£¬keeping a worried eye on Thornton£®

They came to a more dangerous part of the river£¬ and the boat started to go too quickly£®Hans pulled on the rope to stop it£¬and pulled too hard£®The boat turned over£¬and Thornton was thrown into the water and carried down river towards rocks where no swimmer could live£®

Buck jumped in immediately and swam three hundred me tres until he reached Thornton£®Then he turned£¬and with Thornton holding his tail£¬Buck swam towards the river bank£®But they moved slowly£¬and all the time the river was carrying them towards the place where the water crashed twenty metres down onto rocks£®Thornton knew that they would not get to the bank quickly enough£¬so he let go of Buck£¬held on to a rock in the middle of the water£¬and shouted£¬¡®Go£¬Buck£¬go£¡¡¯

Buck swam as hard as he could to the bank£¬and Pete and Hans pulled him out£®

It was hard for Thornton to hold on to his rock in that wild water£¬and his friends knew they had only a few minutes to save him£®They tied their rope round Buck£¬who at once jumped into the river and tried to swim to Thornton£®The first time£¬the water took him past the rock£¬and Pete and Hans had to pull him back The second time£¬he swam higher up the river£¬and the water brought him down to Thornton£®Thornton held on to Buck£¬and Hans and Pete pulled the rope as hard as they could£®Man and dog disappeared under the water£¬banging into rocks£¬turning over and over£¬sometimes with Buck on top£¬sometimes Thornton£®When Hans and Pete finally pulled them out£¬both seemed more dead than alive But after a while their eyes opened and life returned

That winter£¬at Dawson£¬Buck did something that made him even more famous in the north£®It was also very helpful to the three men£®They wanted to make a journey to look for gold in the east£¬and they needed money£®They were in a bar one day when some of the men started to talk about dogs£®One man said that he had a dog who was strong enough to pull a sledge with two hundred kilos on it£®Another said his dog could pull two hundred and fifty£®A third man£¬called Matthewson£¬said his dog could pull three hundred kilos£®

¡®That's nothing£¬¡¯said Thornton£®¡®Buck can pull three hundred and fifty£®¡¯

¡® Can he break the sledge out when it's frozen to the ice and then start it moving£¿And pull it a hundred metres£¿¡¯ asked Matthewson£®

¡®He can break it out£¬and start it£¬and pull it a hundred metres£¬said Thornton£®

¡®Well£¬¡¯said Matthewson£¬speaking slowly and loudly£®¡®I've got a thousand dollars here£¬and I say he can't£®¡¯ As he spoke£¬he took a bag of gold and put it down on the table£®

Suddenly Thornton was worried£®He knew Buck was strong£¬but was he strong enough£¿ Now ten men were watching him and waiting£®He didn't have a thousand dollars£¬and neither did Hans or Pete£®

¡®I've got a sledge outside with three hundrd and fifty kilos on it£¬¡¯said Matthewson£®¡®So it's easy if you want to try£®¡¯

Thornton didn't know what to say£®He looked at the other men in the bar£®One of them was an old friend£¬Jim O¡¯Brien£®

¡®Can yon lend me a thousand dollars£¬Jim£¿¡¯he asked softly£®

¡®Sure£¬¡¯said O¡¯Brien£¬putting another bag of gold next to Matthewson's£®¡®But I don't think the dog can do it£¬John£®¡¯

Everybody went out into the street£®There were two or three hundred men around Matthewson's sledge£®The sledge had been outside the bar for two hours£¬and it was frozen to the ice£¬in a temperature of 50¡ãbelow zero£®Most of the men thought that Buck was not strong enough£¬and Matthewson smiled happily£®

¡®Shall we make it two thousand dollars£¿¡¯he asked£®

Thornton£¬Hans and Pete talked for a minute£®They had only four hundred dollars£¬but they added this to O¡¯Brien's thousand£®Matthewson£¬very sure of winning£®also put down another four hundred dollars£®

Matthewson's ten dogs were taken away£¬and Buck£¬who could feel the excitement in the air£¬was harnessed to the sledge£®Buck was£¬without question£¬a very fine animal¡ªbright-eyed£¬intelligent£¬his thick coat shining with health£®And he looked as strong as a horse£®

One man went up to Thornton£®¡®I'll buy him now£¬¡¯he said£®¡®I¡¯11 give you eight hundred dollars for him£®¡¯

Thornton shook his head and sat down on the snow next to Buck£®He held Buck's head in his hands and spoke softly into his ear£®¡®If you love me£¬Buck£®If you love me£®¡¯

Buck took Thornton's hand between his teeth£¬then let go£¬and Thornton stood up and stepped back£®

¡®Ready£¬Buck£¬¡¯he said£®

Buck pulled on the harness a little£¬ getting ready£®

¡®Right£¡¡¯cried Thornton£®

Buck pulled to the right£¬hard£¬stopped suddenly£¬and the ice under the sledge began to break£®

¡®Now£¬left£¡¡¯called Thornton£¬and Buck pulled to the left£¬breaking more of the ice£®

¡®Now£¬pull£¡¡¯

Buck threw himself against his harness£¬and pulled£®He held his body low to the ground£¬his head down and forward£¬and his feet dug into the hard snow£®Harder and harder he pulled£®Suddenly£¬the sledge moved a centimetre¡­two¡­three¡­and£¬little by little£¬it started to go forward across the snow£®With each second it went a little faster£¬and Thornton ran be hind£¬calling to Buck as he pulled the sledge towards the end of the hundred metres£®The watching men were shouting and throwing their hats in the air£»Buck had won£®

Then Thornton was on the snow next to Buck again£¬talking to him£¬and Buck had Thornton's hand in his teeth£®

  
7  The call of the wild

  

In five minutes Buck had made fourteen hundred dollars  for Thornton and his friends£®The money made it possi ble for them to travel east£¬where they wanted to look for a lost gold mine£®Men said that this mine had more gold than any other mine in the north£® Many had looked for it£¬and some had died looking for it£®The only men who knew where it was were now dead£®

Thornton£¬Pete and Hans£¬with Buck and six other dogs£¬started off to the east in the spring£®They travelled up the Stewart River and crossed the Mackenzie Mountains£®They did not move quickly£»the weather was good£¬and£¡the men shot animals for food when they needed it£®Sometimes they travelled for a week£¬and sometimes they stopped for a week and searched for gold in the ground£®Sometimes they were hungry£¬and sometimes they had lots of food£®They spent all the summer in the mountains£¬carrying everything they needed on their backs£¬sometimes making boats to go down rivers or across lakes£®

In the autumn they came to a strange£¬flat country£¬with many lakes£®They travelled on through the winter and met nobody£¬but once they found an old wooden house£¬with an old gun in it£®

When the spring came£¬they found£¬not the lost mine£¬but a lake in a wide valley£®Through the shallow water the gold showed like yellow butter£¬ and here their search ended£®There was gold worth thousands of dollars in the lake£¬and they worked every day£¬filling bag after bag with gold£®

The dogs had nothing to do except watch the men and eat the food which the men shot for them£®Buck spent many evenings sitting by the fire£®

As he sat£¬he saw again his dream world£¬where the strange hairy man sat next to him£®He also heard something calling him into the forest£®Sometimes£¬in the middle of the day£¬he lifted his head and listened£¬and then ran off into the forest£®

One night he woke up and heard the call again£¬a long howl£®He ran into the forest£¬following the sound£¬and came to an open place in the trees£®And there£¬ his nose pointing to the sky£¬sat a wolf£®

The wolf stopped howling and Buck walked slowly towards him£®The wolf ran£¬ and Buck followed£®After a time£¬the wolf stopped and waited£¬watching Buck£¬ready to attack£®But Buck did not want to fight£¬and soon the wolf realized this£¬and the two animals became friendly£®Then the wolf started to run again£¬and he clearly wanted Buck to follow him£®They ran for hours through the forest£¬and Buck remembered again his dream world where he£¬and others like him£¬had run through a much older forest£®

Then they stopped to drink£¬and Buck remembered John Thornton£®He turned and started to run back£®The wolf followed him£¬then stopped and howled£¬ but Buck ran on and did not turn£®

Thornton was eating dinner when Buck returned£®Buck jumped all over him£¬and for two days never left his side£®He followed him every where£¬watching him while he ate and while he slept£®But after two days the call of the wild came again£¬and he remembered the forest and the wolf who had run beside him£®

He started to sleep out in the forest at night£¬sometimes staying out for three or four days£®Once he was away for a week£¬fishing and killing animals for food£®He ate well£¬and he grew stronger and quicker and more alive£®His golden brown coat shone with health as he ran through the forest£¬learning its every secret£¬every smell£¬and every sound£®

¡®He's the finest dog that I've ever seen£¬¡¯said Thornton to his friends one day as they watched Buck walking out of camp£®

¡®There¡¯11 never be another dog like him£¬¡¯said Pete£®

They saw him walking out of camp but they didn't see the change that happened when he was inside the forest£®At once he became a thing of the wild£¬stepping softly and silently£¬a passing shadow among the trees£®

In the autumn£¬Buck started to see moose in the forest£®One day he met a group of about twenty£®The largest was two me tres tall£¬and his antlers were more than two metres across£®When he saw Buck£¬ he got very angry£® For hours Buck fol lowed the moose£»he wanted the big one£¬but he wanted him alone£®By the evening Buck had driven the big old moose away from the others£¬and then he began his attack£®The animal weighed six hundred and fifty kilos¡ªhe was big enough and strong enough to kill Buck in seconds£®Patiently£¬Buck fol lowed him for four days£¬attacking and then jumping away£®He gave him no peace£¬no time to eat or drink or rest£¬ and slowly the moose became weaker£®At the end of the fourth day Buck pulled the moose down and killed him£®He stayed by the dead animal for a day and a half£¬eating£¬and then turned towards camp and John Thornton£®

Five kilometres from the camp£¬he smelt something strange£®Something was wrong£®He started to run£®After a few hundred metres he found the dead body of Blackie£¬with an arrow through his side£®Then he found another sledge£­dog£¬dying£¬with an arrow in his neck£®

Buck was near the camp now£¬and he could hear voices singing£®Then he saw the body of Hans£¬lying on his face£¬with ten or fifteen arrows in his back£®Buck was suddenly filled with a wild£¬burning anger£®

The yeehats were dancing around the camp£¬when they heard a deep and terrible growling£®Buck came out of the trees faster than the north wind£¬and threw himself on the Yeehats like a mad dog He jumped at the first man£¬and tore out his throat£¬killing him at once£®He jumped onto a second£¬then a third man£¬going each time for the throat£®The Yeehats could neither escape nor use their arrows£®Buck moved like a storm among them£¬tearing£¬biting£¬destroying£¬in a madness that he had never known before£®Nothing could stop him£¬and soon the Yeehats were running£¬wild with fear£¬back to the forest Buck followed for some time£¬then returned to the camp£®

He found Pete£¬killed in his bed£® He followed Thornton's smell to a deep pool£¬and found Skeet lying dead by the edge£®Thornton's body was somewhere under the water£®

All day Buck stayed by the pool or walked restlessly round the camp£® But when the evening came£¬ he heard new sounds from the forest£»the wolves had come south for the winter£¬and were moving into Buck's valley£®They came into the camp in the moonlight£¬and Buck stood silently£¬waiting for them£®Suddenly£¬the bravest wolf jumped at Buck£®In a second£¬Buck had bitten£¬and then stood still again£®The wolf was dead behind him£®Three more wolves jumped at him£¬and were killed£®

Then the pack attacked in a crowd all at once£®But not one of them could bring Buck down£»he was too quick£¬too strong£¬too clever for them all£®After half an hour the pack stopped attacking and moved away£®Then one wolf moved forward slowly£¬ in a friendly way£»it was the wolf that Buck had met before in the forest£®They touched noses£®Then another wolf came forward to make friends£¬and another£®Soon the pack was all around Buck£¬and the call of the wild was loud in Buck's ears£®And when the wolves moved on£¬ back into the forest£¬Buck ran with them£¬side by side 

That is perhaps the end of Buck's story£®But after a few years£¬the Yeehats noticed that some of the wolves had golden brown in their grey coats£®They also talked of a Ghost Dog that ran at the head of the pack£®

And sometimes men were found dead£¬killed by the teeth of a terrible animal£®And each autumn£¬when the Yeehats follow the moose£¬there is one valley that they will not go into£®

In the summers there is one visitor to that valley£º a large£¬golden-brown wolf£¬larger than any other wolf£®He walks alone round the lake where the yellow gold shines in the water, and howls£®But he is not always alone£®In the long winter nights£¬he runs at the head of the wolf pack through the moonlight£¬calling into the night with them£¬singing a song from a younger world£®

  

