English
WhenJohnThorntonfrozehisfeetinthepreviousDecemberhispartnershadmadehimcomfortableandlefthimtogetwell,goingonthemselvesuptherivertogetoutaraftofsaw-logsforDawson.
HewasstilllimpingslightlyatthetimeherescuedBuck,butwiththecontinuedwarmweathereventheslightlimplefthim.
Andhere,lyingbytheriverbankthroughthelongspringdays,watchingtherunningwater,listeninglazilytothesongsofbirdsandthehumofnature,Buckslowlywonbackhisstrength.
Arestcomesverygoodafteronehastravelledthreethousandmiles,anditmustbeconfessedthatBuckwaxedlazyashiswoundshealed,hismusclesswelledout,andthefleshcamebacktocoverhisbones.
Forthatmatter,theywereallloafing,—Buck,JohnThornton,andSkeetandNig,—waitingfortherafttocomethatwastocarrythemdowntoDawson.
SkeetwasalittleIrishsetterwhoearlymadefriendswithBuck,who,inadyingcondition,wasunabletoresentherfirstadvances.
Shehadthedoctortraitwhichsomedogspossess;andasamothercatwashesherkittens,soshewashedandcleansedBuck'swounds.
Regularly,eachmorningafterhehadfinishedhisbreakfast,sheperformedherself-appointedtask,tillhecametolookforherministrationsasmuchashedidforThornton's.
Nig,equallyfriendly,thoughlessdemonstrative,wasahugeblackdog,halfbloodhoundandhalfdeerhound,witheyesthatlaughedandaboundlessgoodnature.
ToBuck'ssurprisethesedogsmanifestednojealousytowardhim.
TheyseemedtosharethekindlinessandlargenessofJohnThornton.
AsBuckgrewstrongertheyenticedhimintoallsortsofridiculousgames,inwhichThorntonhimselfcouldnotforbeartojoin;andinthisfashionBuckrompedthroughhisconvalescenceandintoanewexistence.
Love,genuinepassionatelove,washisforthefirsttime.
ThishehadneverexperiencedatJudgeMiller'sdowninthesun-kissedSantaClaraValley.
WiththeJudge'ssons,huntingandtramping,ithadbeenaworkingpartnership;withtheJudge'sgrandsons,asortofpompousguardianship;andwiththeJudgehimself,astatelyanddignifiedfriendship.
Butlovethatwasfeverishandburning,thatwasadoration,thatwasmadness,ithadtakenJohnThorntontoarouse.
Thismanhadsavedhislife,whichwassomething;but,further,hewastheidealmaster.
Othermensawtothewelfareoftheirdogsfromasenseofdutyandbusinessexpediency;hesawtothewelfareofhisasiftheywerehisownchildren,becausehecouldnothelpit.Andhesawfurther.
Heneverforgotakindlygreetingoracheeringword,andtositdownforalongtalkwiththem("gas"hecalledit)wasasmuchhisdelightastheirs.
HehadawayoftakingBuck'sheadroughlybetweenhishands,andrestinghisownheaduponBuck's,ofshakinghimbackandforth,thewhilecallinghimillnamesthattoBuckwerelovenames.
Buckknewnogreaterjoythanthatroughembraceandthesoundofmurmuredoaths,andateachjerkbackandforthitseemedthathisheartwouldbeshakenoutofhisbodysogreatwasitsecstasy.
Andwhen,released,hesprangtohisfeet,hismouthlaughing,hiseyeseloquent,histhroatvibrantwithunutteredsound,andinthatfashionremainedwithoutmovement,JohnThorntonwouldreverentlyexclaim,"God!youcanallbutspeak!"
Buckhadatrickofloveexpressionthatwasakintohurt.
HewouldoftenseizeThornton'shandinhismouthandclosesofiercelythatthefleshboretheimpressofhisteethforsometimeafterward.
AndasBuckunderstoodtheoathstobelovewords,sothemanunderstoodthisfeignedbiteforacaress.
Forthemostpart,however,Buck'slovewasexpressedinadoration.
WhilehewentwildwithhappinesswhenThorntontouchedhimorspoketohim,hedidnotseekthesetokens.
UnlikeSkeet,whowaswonttoshovehernoseunderThornton'shandandnudgeandnudgetillpetted,orNig,whowouldstalkupandresthisgreatheadonThornton'sknee,Buckwascontenttoadoreatadistance.
Hewouldliebythehour,eager,alert,atThornton'sfeet,lookingupintohisface,dwellinguponit,studyingit,followingwithkeenestinteresteachfleetingexpression,everymovementorchangeoffeature.
Or,aschancemighthaveit,hewouldliefartheraway,tothesideorrear,watchingtheoutlinesofthemanandtheoccasionalmovementsofhisbody.
Andoften,suchwasthecommunioninwhichtheylived,thestrengthofBuck'sgazewoulddrawJohnThornton'sheadaround,andhewouldreturnthegaze,withoutspeech,hisheartshiningoutofhiseyesasBuck'sheartshoneout.
Foralongtimeafterhisrescue,BuckdidnotlikeThorntontogetoutofhissight.
Fromthemomentheleftthetenttowhenheentereditagain,Buckwouldfollowathisheels.
HistransientmasterssincehehadcomeintotheNorthlandhadbredinhimafearthatnomastercouldbepermanent.
HewasafraidthatThorntonwouldpassoutofhislifeasPerraultandFrancoisandtheScotchhalf-breedhadpassedout.
Eveninthenight,inhisdreams,hewashauntedbythisfear.
Atsuchtimeshewouldshakeoffsleepandcreepthroughthechilltotheflapofthetent,wherehewouldstandandlistentothesoundofhismaster'sbreathing.
ButinspiteofthisgreatloveheboreJohnThornton,whichseemedtobespeakthesoftcivilizinginfluence,thestrainoftheprimitive,whichtheNorthlandhadarousedinhim,remainedaliveandactive.
Faithfulnessanddevotion,thingsbornoffireandroof,werehis;yetheretainedhiswildnessandwiliness.
Hewasathingofthewild,comeinfromthewildtositbyJohnThornton'sfire,ratherthanadogofthesoftSouthlandstampedwiththemarksofgenerationsofcivilization.
Becauseofhisverygreatlove,hecouldnotstealfromthisman,butfromanyotherman,inanyothercamp,hedidnothesitateaninstant;whilethecunningwithwhichhestoleenabledhimtoescapedetection.
Hisfaceandbodywerescoredbytheteethofmanydogs,andhefoughtasfiercelyaseverandmoreshrewdly.
SkeetandNigweretoogood-naturedforquarrelling,—besides,theybelongedtoJohnThornton;butthestrangedog,nomatterwhatthebreedorvalor,swiftlyacknowledgedBuck'ssupremacyorfoundhimselfstrugglingforlifewithaterribleantagonist.AndBuckwasmerciless.
Hehadlearnedwellthelawofclubandfang,andheneverforewentanadvantageordrewbackfromafoehehadstartedonthewaytoDeath.
HehadlessonedfromSpitz,andfromthechieffightingdogsofthepoliceandmail,andknewtherewasnomiddlecourse.
Hemustmasterorbemastered;whiletoshowmercywasaweakness.
Mercydidnotexistintheprimordiallife.
Itwasmisunderstoodforfear,andsuchmisunderstandingsmadefordeath.
Killorbekilled,eatorbeeaten,wasthelaw;andthismandate,downoutofthedepthsofTime,heobeyed.
Hewasolderthanthedayshehadseenandthebreathshehaddrawn.
Helinkedthepastwiththepresent,andtheeternitybehindhimthrobbedthroughhiminamightyrhythmtowhichheswayedasthetidesandseasonsswayed.
HesatbyJohnThornton'sfire,abroad-breasteddog,white-fangedandlong-furred;butbehindhimweretheshadesofallmannerofdogs,half-wolvesandwildwolves,urgentandprompting,tastingthesavorofthemeatheate,thirstingforthewaterhedrank,scentingthewindwithhim,listeningwithhimandtellinghimthesoundsmadebythewildlifeintheforest,dictatinghismoods,directinghisactions,lyingdowntosleepwithhimwhenhelaydown,anddreamingwithhimandbeyondhimandbecomingthemselvesthestuffofhisdreams.
Soperemptorilydidtheseshadesbeckonhim,thateachdaymankindandtheclaimsofmankindslippedfartherfromhim.
Deepintheforestacallwassounding,andasoftenasheheardthiscall,mysteriouslythrillingandluring,hefeltcompelledtoturnhisbackuponthefireandthebeateneartharoundit,andtoplungeintotheforest,andonandon,heknewnotwhereorwhy;nordidhewonderwhereorwhy,thecallsoundingimperiously,deepintheforest.
Butasoftenashegainedthesoftunbrokenearthandthegreenshade,theloveforJohnThorntondrewhimbacktothefireagain.
Thorntonaloneheldhim.Therestofmankindwasasnothing.
Chancetravellersmightpraiseorpethim;buthewascoldunderitall,andfromatoodemonstrativemanhewouldgetupandwalkaway.
WhenThornton'spartners,HansandPete,arrivedonthelong-expectedraft,BuckrefusedtonoticethemtillhelearnedtheywereclosetoThornton;afterthathetoleratedtheminapassivesortofway,acceptingfavorsfromthemasthoughhefavoredthembyaccepting.
TheywereofthesamelargetypeasThornton,livingclosetotheearth,thinkingsimplyandseeingclearly;anderetheyswungtheraftintothebigeddybythesaw-millatDawson,theyunderstoodBuckandhisways,anddidnotinsistuponanintimacysuchasobtainedwithSkeetandNig.
ForThornton,however,hisloveseemedtogrowandgrow.
He,aloneamongmen,couldputapackuponBuck'sbackinthesummertravelling.
NothingwastoogreatforBucktodo,whenThorntoncommanded.
Oneday(theyhadgrub-stakedthemselvesfromtheproceedsoftheraftandleftDawsonforthehead-watersoftheTanana)themenanddogsweresittingonthecrestofacliffwhichfellaway,straightdown,tonakedbed-rockthreehundredfeetbelow.
JohnThorntonwassittingneartheedge,Buckathisshoulder.
AthoughtlesswhimseizedThornton,andhedrewtheattentionofHansandPetetotheexperimenthehadinmind."Jump,Buck!"
hecommanded,sweepinghisarmoutandoverthechasm.
ThenextinstanthewasgrapplingwithBuckontheextremeedge,whileHansandPeteweredraggingthembackintosafety.
"It'suncanny,"Petesaid,afteritwasoverandtheyhadcaughttheirspeech.
Thorntonshookhishead."No,itissplendid,anditisterrible,too.Doyouknow,itsometimesmakesmeafraid."
"I'mnothankeringtobethemanthatlayshandsonyouwhilehe'saround,"Peteannouncedconclusively,noddinghisheadtowardBuck.
"PyJingo!"wasHans'scontribution."Notmineselfeither."
ItwasatCircleCity,eretheyearwasout,thatPete'sapprehensionswererealized.
"Black"Burton,amanevil-temperedandmalicious,hadbeenpickingaquarrelwithatenderfootatthebar,whenThorntonsteppedgood-naturedlybetween.
Buck,aswashiscustom,waslyinginacorner,headonpaws,watchinghismaster'severyaction.
Burtonstruckout,withoutwarning,straightfromtheshoulder.
Thorntonwassentspinning,andsavedhimselffromfallingonlybyclutchingtherailofthebar.
Thosewhowerelookingonheardwhatwasneitherbarknoryelp,butasomethingwhichisbestdescribedasaroar,andtheysawBuck'sbodyriseupintheairasheleftthefloorforBurton'sthroat.
Themansavedhislifebyinstinctivelythrowingouthisarm,butwashurledbackwardtothefloorwithBuckontopofhim.
Buckloosedhisteethfromthefleshofthearmanddroveinagainforthethroat.
Thistimethemansucceededonlyinpartlyblocking,andhisthroatwastornopen.
ThenthecrowdwasuponBuck,andhewasdrivenoff;butwhileasurgeoncheckedthebleeding,heprowledupanddown,growlingfuriously,attemptingtorushin,andbeingforcedbackbyanarrayofhostileclubs.
A"miners'meeting,"calledonthespot,decidedthatthedoghadsufficientprovocation,andBuckwasdischarged.
Buthisreputationwasmade,andfromthatdayhisnamespreadthrougheverycampinAlaska.
Lateron,inthefalloftheyear,hesavedJohnThornton'slifeinquiteanotherfashion.
Thethreepartnerswereliningalongandnarrowpoling-boatdownabadstretchofrapidsontheForty-MileCreek.
HansandPetemovedalongthebank,snubbingwithathinManilaropefromtreetotree,whileThorntonremainedintheboat,helpingitsdescentbymeansofapole,andshoutingdirectionstotheshore.
Buck,onthebank,worriedandanxious,keptabreastoftheboat,hiseyesneveroffhismaster.
Ataparticularlybadspot,wherealedgeofbarelysubmergedrocksjuttedoutintotheriver,Hanscastofftherope,and,whileThorntonpoledtheboatoutintothestream,randownthebankwiththeendinhishandtosnubtheboatwhenithadclearedtheledge.
Thisitdid,andwasflyingdown-streaminacurrentasswiftasamill-race,whenHanscheckeditwiththeropeandcheckedtoosuddenly.
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