1To the north.docx
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1To the north.docx
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1Tothenorth
1Tothenorth
Buckdidnotreadthenewspapers.HedidnotknowthattroublewascomingforeverybigdoginCalifornia.MenhadfoundgoldintheYukon,andthesemenwantedbig,strongdogstoworkinthecoldandsnowofthenorth.
BucklivedinMrMiller'sbighouseinthesunnySantaClaravalleyTherewerelargegardensandfieldsoffruittreesaroundthehouse,andarivernearby.Inabigplacelikethis,ofcourse,thereweremanydogsTherewerehousedogsandfarmdogs,buttheywerenotimportant.Buckwaschiefdog;hewasbornhere,andthiswashisplace.Hewasfouryearsoldandweighedsixtykilos.HewentswimmingwithMrMiller'ssons,andwalkingwithhisdaughters.Hecarriedthegrandchildrenonhisback,andhesatatMrMiller'sfeetinfrontofthefireinwinter.
Butthiswas1897,andBuckdidnotknowthatmenanddogswerehurryingtonorth-westCanadatolookforgold.AndhedidnotknowthatManuel,oneofMrMiller'sgarden-ers,neededmoneyforhislargefamily.Oneday,whenMrMillerwasout,ManuelandBuckleftthegardentogether.Itwasjustaneveningwalk,Buckthought.Noonesawthemgo,andonlyonemansawthemarriveattherailwaystation.ThismantalkedtoManuel,andgavehimsomemoney.ThenhetiedapieceofropearoundBuck'sneck.
Buckgrowled,andwassurprisedwhentheropewaspulledhardaroundhisneck.Hejumpedattheman.ThemancaughthimandsuddenlyBuckwasonhisbackwithhistongueoutofhismouth.Forafewmomentshewasunabletomove,anditwaseasyforthetwomentoputhimintothetrain.
WhenBuckwokeup,thetrainwasstillmoving.Themanwassittingandwatchinghim,butBuckwastooquickforhimandhebittheman'shandhard.ThentheropewaspulledagainandBuckhadtoletgo.
Thatevening,themantookBucktothebackroomofabarinSanFrancisco.Thebarmanlookedattheman'shandandtrouserscoveredinblood.
‘Howmucharetheypayingyouforthis?
’heasked.
‘Ionlygetfiftydollars.’
‘Andthemanwhostolehim—howmuchdidheget?
’askedthebarman.
‘Ahundred.Hewouldn'ttakeless.’
‘Thatmakesahundredandfifty.It'sagoodpriceforadoglikehim.Here,helpmetogethimintothis.’
TheytookoffBuck'sropeandpushedhimintoawoodenbox.Hespentthenightintheboxinthebackroomofthebar.Hisneckstillachedwithpainfromtherope,andhecouldnotunderstandwhatitallmeant.Whatdidtheywantwithhim,thesestrangemen?
AndwherewasMrMiller?
ThenextdayBuckwascarriedintheboxtotherailwaystationandputonatrain
tothenorth.
Fortwodaysandnightsthetraintravellednorth,andfortwodaysandnightsBuckneitheratenordrank.Menonthetrainlaughedathimandpushedsticksathimthroughtheholesinthebox.FortwodaysandnightsBuckgotangrierandhungrierandthirsti-er.Hiseyesgrewredandhebitanythingthatmoved.
InSeattlefourmentookBucktoasmall,high-walledbackgarden,whereafatmaninanoldredcoatwaswaiting.Buckwasnowveryangryindeedandhejumpedandbitatthesidesofhisbox.Thefatmansmiledandwenttogetanaxeandaclub.
‘Areyougoingtotakehimoutnow?
’askedoneofthemen.‘Ofcourse,’answeredthefatman,andhebegantobreaktheboxwithhisaxe.
Immediatelythefourothermenclimbedupontothewalltowatchfromasafeplace.
Asthefatmanhittheboxwithhisaxe,Buckjumpedatthesides,growlingandbiting,pullingwithhisteethatthepiecesofbrokenwood.AfterafewminutestherewasaholebigenoughforBucktogetout.‘Now,comehere,redeyes,’saidthefatman,droppinghisaxeandtakingtheclubinhisrighthand.
Buckjumpedattheman,sixtykilosofanger,hismouthwideopenreadytobitetheman'sneck.Justbeforehisteethtouchedtheskin,themanhithimwiththeclub.Buckfelltotheground.Itwasthefirsttimeanyonehadhithimwithaclubandhedidnotunderstand.Hestoodup,andjumpedagain.Againtheclubhithimandhecrashedtotheground.Tentimeshejumpedattheman,andtentimestheclubhithim.Slowlyhegottohisfeet,nowonlyjustabletostand.Therewasbloodonhisnoseandmouthandears.Thenthefatmanwalkedupandhithimagain,veryhard,onthenose.Thepainwasterrible.Again,Buckjumpedatthemanandagainhewashittotheground.Alasttimehejumped,andthistime,whenthemanknockedhimdown,Buckdidnotmove.
‘Heknowshowtoteachadogalesson,’saidoneofthemenonthewall.Thenthefourmenjumpeddownandwentbacktothestation.
‘HisnameisBuck,’saidthefatmantohimself,readingtheletterthathadcomewiththebox.‘Well,Buck,myby,’hesaidinafriendlyvoice,‘we'vearguedalittle,andIthinkthebestthingtodonowistostop.Beagooddogandwe'llbefriends.Butifyou'reabaddog,I'llhavetousemyclubagain.Understand?
’
Ashespoke,hetouchedBuck’shead,andalthoughBuckwasangryinside,hedidnotmove.Whenthemanbroughthimwaterandmeat,Buckdrankandthenatethemeat,piecebypiece,fromtheman'shand.
Buckwasbeaten(heknewthat)buthewasnotbroken.Hehadlearntthatamanwithaclubwasstrongerthanhim.Everydayhesawmoredogsarrive,andeachdogwasbeatenbythefatman.Buckunderstoodthatamanwithaclubmustbeobeyed,althoughhedidnothavetobeafriend.
Mencametoseethefatmanandtolookatthedogs.Some-timestheypaidmoneyandleftwithoneormoreofthedogs.Onedayashort,darkmancameandlookedatBuck.
‘That'sagooddog!
’hecried.‘Howmuchdoyouwantforhim?
’
‘Threehundreddollars.It'sagoodprice,Perrault,’saidthefatman.
Perraultsmiledandagreedthatitwasagoodprice.Heknewdogs,andheknewthatBuckwasanexcellentdog.
‘Oneintenthousand,’Perraultsaidtohimself.
Bucksawmoneyputintothefatman’shand,andhewasnotsurprisedwhenheandanotherdogcalledCurlyweretakenawaybyPerrault.Hetookthemtoaship,andlaterthatdayBuckandCurlystoodandwatchedthecoastgetfurtherandfurtheraway.Theyhadseenthewarmsouthforthelasttime.
PerraulttookBuckandCurlydowntothebottomoftheship.Theretheymetanotherman,Francois.PerraultwasaFrench-Canadian,butFrancoiswashalf-Indian,tallanddark.BucklearntquicklythatPerraultandFrancoiswerefairmen,calmandhonest.Andtheykneweverythingaboutdogs.
Thereweretwootherdogsontheship.OnewasabigdogcalledSpitz,aswhiteassnow.HewasfriendlytoBuckatfirst,alwayssmiling.HewassmilingwhenhetriedtostealBuck’sfoodatthefirstmeal.FrancoiswasquickandhitSpitzbeforeBuckhadtimetomove.Buckdecidedthatthiswasfair,andbegantolikeFrancoisalittle.
Dave,theotherdog,wasnotfriendly.Hewantedtobealoneallthetime.Heateandsleptandwasinterestedinnothing.
Onedaywasverylikeanother,butBucknoticedthattheweatherwasgettingcolder.Onemorning,theship'senginesstopped,andtherewasafeelingofexcitementintheship.Francoisleashedthedogsandtookthemoutside.AtthefirststepBuck'sfeetwentintosomethingsoftandwhite.Hejumpedbackinsurprise.Thesoft,whitethingwasalsofallingthroughtheair,anditfellontohim.Hetriedtosmellit,andthencaughtsomeonhistongue.Itbitlikefire,andthendisappeared.Hetriedagainandthesamethinghappened.Peoplewerewatchinghimandlaughing,andBuckfeltashamed,althoughhedidnotknowwhy.Itwashisfirstsnow.
2Thelawofclubandtooth
Buck'sfirstdayatDyeaBeachwasterrible.Everyhourtherewassomenew,frighteningsurprise.Therewasnopeace,norest—onlycontinualnoiseandmovement.Andeveryminutetherewasdanger,becausethesedogsandmenwerenottowndogsandmen.Theyknewonlythelawofclubandtooth.
Buckhadneverseendogsfightlikethesedogs;theywerelikewolves.InafewminuteshelearntthisfromwatchingCurly.Shetriedtomakefriendswithadog,abigone,al-thoughnotasbigasshewas.Therewasnowarning.ThedogjumpedonCurly,histeethclosedtogether,thenhejumpedaway,andCurly'sfacewastornopenfromeyetomouth.
Wolvesfightlikethis,bitingandjumpingaway,butthefightdidnotfinishthen.Thirtyorfortymoredogsranupandmadeacirclearoundthefight,watchingsilently.Curlytriedtoattackthedogwhohadbittenher;hebitherasecondtime,andjumpedaway.Whensheattackedhimagain,heknockedherbackwards,andshefellontheground.Sheneverstoodupagain,becausethiswaswhattheotherdogswerewaitingfor.Theymovedin,andinamomentshewasunderacrowdofdogs.
Itwasallverysudden.BucksawSpitzrunoutfromthecrowdwithhistongueoutofhismouth,laughing.ThenhesawFrancoiswithanaxe,andtwoorthreeothermenwithclubsjumpinamongthedogs.Twominuteslaterthelastofthedogswaschasedaway.ButCurlylaydeadinthesnow,herbodytornalmosttopieces.Curly'sdeathoftencamebacktoBuckinhisdreams.Heunderstoodthatonceadogwasdownontheground,hewasdeadHealsorememberedSpitzlaughing,andfromthatmomenthehatedhim.
ThenBuckhadanothersurprise.Francoisputaharnessonhim.Buckhadseenharnessesonhorses,andnowhewasmadetoworklikeahorse,pullingFrancoisonasledgeintotheforestandreturningwithwoodforthefire.BuckworkedwithSpitzandDave.Thetwootherdogshadworkedinahar-nessbefore,andBucklearntbywatchingthem.HealsolearnttostopandturnwhenFrancoisshouted.
‘Thosethreeareverygooddogs,’FrancoistoldPerrault.‘ThatBuckpullsverywell,andhe'slearningquickly.’
PerraulthadimportantlettersandofficialpaperstotaketoDawsonCity,sothatafternoonheboughttwomoredogs,twobrotherscalledBilleeandJoe.Billeewasveryfriendly,butJoe
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