01. The house was far away from the road, hidden by trees. The path to the houseran throughlarge trees and grassy areas.
02. On winter nights, he would lie at the Judge's feet beside a warm fire. He also carried the Judge's grandsons on his back, guarding their every footstep.
03. Buck had accepted Manuel's rope around his neck, but when the strangergrabbed hold ofit, hestarted to growl. To his surprise, the rope tightened around his neck, shutting off his breath. In quick anger, Buckjumped atthe man. But the man closed his hands around Buck's neck and threw him over on his back. Then the rope tightened again, and Buck, in his anger, could hardly breathe. He had never been so badly treated, not had he ever been so angry. Although he struggled against the man, he soon lost his strength and did not remember being thrown into the luggage car of the train.
04. He opened his eyes andlooked aboutwith great anger, like a king who has been kidnapped. The man beside himtried to grab the ropearound his throat again, but Buck was too fast. Hebit the man on the handand he did notlet gountil he had his senses choked out of him again.
05. "Yes, this onehas fits of angerat times," the man said, hiding his bloody hand away from a train clerk who had arrived to see about the sounds of fighting in the car.
06.His voice was choking with rage.
07.Despair choked her words.
08. "I can't bear it," he saidin a choked voice.
09. Hecracked his whipand the horseleapt forward.
10. He could not understand all that had happened to him.
11. Many times during the night he hadjumped to his feetwhen heheard the door open,hopingthat he would be greeted by Judge Miller and the boys. But each time it was the ugly face of the bar keeper. Each time the joyful bark that was in his throatturned intoa wild growl.
12. Hebarked and growled atthem through the bars of his cage. The four men only laughed and teased him with sticks, which he quicklybit with his teethuntil he realized that this was what they wanted.
13. He did not mind being hungry, but the lack of water caused him terrible suffering and made his anger even stronger. On top of this, his earlier ill treatment had given him a fever, and his tongue and throatached unbearably.
14. The two days of hunger and thirst had turned his eyes blood-red.
15. Heran wildly againstthe bars,trying to bitehim.
16. Buck was truly a red-eyed devil as he made ready toleap out ofthe box towardthe man.
17.Jumping quickly to his feet, hegrowled in anger and confusion. He had never been hit with a club before, and did not understand.With a bark that was also a scream, he jumped again at his attacker, and again he was sent on his back to the ground.
18. All his anger and hurt made himchargethe man at least a dozen times, and each time hewas beat and smashed to the ground.
19. After one very strong blow (that might have killed a lesser dog), Buckcrawled to his feet. But he was too hurt to charge toward the man anymore. Bloodflowed fromhis ears, nose, and mouth,sprayinghis beautiful fur. Then the man came toward him and gave him a frightful strike on the nose.
20.With aroarthat sounded almost like a lion's, Buck againthrew himself atthe man. But the man, moving the club from his right to left hand, struck Buck under his jaw, sending him to the ground on his head and chest.
21. Helay motionlesson the ground.
22. Buck's senses hadreturned tohim, but he was too weak to move. He lay on the ground, watching the man in the red sweater.
23. As he spoke, he fearlesslypatted Buck's head, the same head he had so badly smashed earlier. Buck's headshook fromthe man's touch, but there was little he could do but put up with it.
24.A fear of the futurecame overhim, and he was glad each time he was not chosen.
25. "Three hundred, and that's a deal even at that price,"was the man's quick reply. "
26. Even when the other dogs grew excited, Dave would onlyraise his head and yawn.
27. 'Spitz fought like a wolf,' said Perrault, as helooked at the bitesall over Buck.
28. Buck's feetstepped onthe cold deck and his feetsank intosomething like white mud. More of this white stuff was falling through the air. Heshookhimself, andlickedsomewith his tongue. It bit like fire, and thispuzzledBuck. He tried to bite the white stuff as it fell through the air, causing the men to laugh. He felt ashamed, but did not know why, for it was his first snow.
29. Buck's first day on Dyea beach was a nightmare. Every hourwas filled withshock and surprise.
30. Heslippedandtumbled downthe stairs.
31. SpitzattackedBillie, who was too kind tofight back,bitinghis leg with his sharp teeth. When Spitz tried to do the same to Joe, Joe faced him and growled so terribly that Spitz had to give up.
32. But when Buck tried to enter it, both Francois and Perrault cursed him andthrew things athim. He had no choice but torun back outside intothe cold. Helay downin the snow and tried to sleep, but the cold soondrove him again to his feet. Wandering from tent to tent, he discovered that every place was just as cold.
33. But a friendly barkgave him courageand he approached again to find Billiecurled upunder the mow in a comfortable ball.
34. The muscles of his body tightened,the hair stood up on his neck, andwith a wild growlhe leaped straight up into the air, sending the snow flying in all directions.
35. Perraultnodded in agreement, happy to have chosen such a fine dog.
36. The first gray of dawnfoundthem with many miles behind them. When darkness came again, they would camp again, eat their bits of fish, and dig their holes to sleep in the snow.
37. It's beenunknowinglyalready another week.
38. It seemed thatinstinctsthat were long deadbecame aliveagain.
39. The weather was terrible, with freezing winds and driving snow.
40. Every dog wasmotionless, as if turned to stone.
41. Francoisscratched his head again and looked questioningly atPerrault. Perrault onlylifted his shoulders, as if to say they were beaten.
42. Francois did this, and Buckcame running in,laughing in victory.
43. "I want to go home,"whinedToby.
44. The dogwhined and scratched atthe door.
45. The other world disappeared and the real world wouldcome to his eyes, and Buck wouldget up and stretch himself.46. After two more efforts theystood still. When the whip whistled again, Mercedes again stepped forward. Shedropped on her kneesbeside Buck, with tears in her eyes, andput her arms aroundhis neck.
47.Then came the time whenthey had to give the dogs less food. Hal discovered one day that half of his food supplywas gone, while only one quarter of the distance was covered.
48. By this time, all the dreams and beauty of the Northland hadfallen awayfrom these Southland people.
49. And then suddenly,without warning, John Thortonjumped uponHal. Halfell back, as if hit by a falling tree. Mercedes screamed, but Charlesremained seatedupon the pile of wood.
50. Mercedes' screamcame to their ears.
51. And here, lying by the side of the river,listening lazily tothe songs of birds and nature, Buck slowly got back his strength.
52. He had a way oftaking Bucks head roughly between his hands, andresting his own head's upon Buck's, he wouldshake him back and forthwhile calling him bad names that Buck knew were love names. Buckknew no greater happiness thanthis, and at each shake back and forth it seemed that his heart would be shaken out of his body from too much joy. And when Thorton would let go, Buck wouldjump back, his mouth laughing, his throat full of cheerful growls, and Thorton would say, "God! You can all but speak."
53. He wouldlie hour by hour at Thorton's feet, looking up intohis face,studyingit,followingeach expressionwith the deepest interest.
54. He was afraid that Thorton would pass out of his life as Perrault and Francois and the Scotsman had done. At such times he wouldawake in his sleepand stand by the entrance to the tent,listening to the sound of his master's breathing.
55. Buck, on the bank, worried and nervous,never took his eyes offhis master.
56. He couldfeel the warm blood rushing tohis face.
57. Hecaught the eye ofJim O'Brien, an old friend, andit gave him the courage todo what he would never have dreamed of doing.
58. The more he thought, the more impossible it seemed.
59. Hetook his head in his two handsandrested his cheek, against Bucks.
60. Buckmade a soft growlto show he was ready.
61. As Thortongot to his feet, Buck took his hand in his mouth,pressing gently with his teeth.
62. But Thortonfell to his kneesbeside Buck. Head was against head, and he wasshakinghim back and forth.
63. John Thorton was eating dinner when Buck ran into camp and jumped upon him, full of love, knocking him over from his chair,lickinghis face andbitinghis hand. Thorton responded by shaking him back and forth andcalling him names lovingly.
64. Buckgrinned up athim, eagerlywagging her tail.
65. Buckraised her headandsniffedthe air.
66. Thortonbent down to strokeher glossy head.
67. Buckgazed up athim, wagging her tail. She was impatient to get started.
68. Hekept sniffing, her sharp noseseekingthe faintest smell of a living body.
