The Call of the Wild

ls."This was Francois's speech next morning when he discovered Spitzmissing and B

" said Perrault, as he surve

loaded the sled, the dog-driver proceeded to harness the dogs. Buck trotted up to the placeSpitz would have occupied as leader; but Francois, not noticing him,brought

"Look at datBuck. Heem keel dat Spitz, heem t'ink to take d

threateningly, dragged him to one side and replaced Sol-leks. The ol

rned his back Buck againdisplaced Sol-l

r, I feex you!" he cried, comingb

and while he circled he watched the club so as tododge it if thrown by Francois, for he was become wise in the way ofclubs. The driver went about his work, and he called to Buck when hewas ready to put him in his old place in

ave the leadership. It washis by right. He had

ore him, and all his seed tocome after him down to the remotest generation, and every hair on hisbody and drop of blood in his veins; and he answered curse with snarland

n. He shook itand grinned sheepishly at the courier, who shrugged his shoulders insign that they were beaten. Then Francois went up to where Sol-leksstood and called to Buck. Buck laug

rest Dave, letting him

ingwhile the traces were unfastened, and whimpering broken-heartedl

his, and, sick unto death, he could not

him and the sled, and A the whilewhining and yelping and crying with grief and pain. The half-breedtried to drive him away with the whip; but he paid no heed to thestinging lash, and the man had not the heart to strike harder. Daverefused to run quietly

oment to get a light for his pipe from the man behind. Then hereturned and started his dogs. They swung out on the trail withremarkable lack of exertion, turned their heads uneasily, and stopped insurprise. The

yes to remain there. Th

the toil, or injured, had died because they werecut out of the traces. Also, they held it a mercy, since Dave was to dieanyway, that he should die in the traces, he

the traces, and once thesled ran upon him so t

ell. Then he wormed his way forwardslowly toward where the harnesses were being put on his mates. Hewould advance his fore legs and drag up his body with a sort of hitchingmovement, when he would advance his fore legs and hitch ahead ag

ed talking. Arevolver-shot rang out. The man came back hurriedly. The whipssnapped, the bells tinkled merrily, the

There was no place for

lled, and once more Buc

de club," Perr

ed in, laughingtriumphantly, and swung ar

broken out, and with both men running

he had undervalued. At abound Buck took up the duties of leadership; and where judgment wasrequired, and quick t

xcelled. Dave and Sol-leks did not mind the change inleadership. It was none

uld leadfor all they cared, so long as he kept order. The rest of the team,however, had grown unruly dur

n for loafing; and ere the first day was donehe was pulling more than ever before in his life. The first night in camp,Joe, the sour one, was punished roundly-- a th

once more the dogs leaped as one dog in thetraces. At the Rink Rapids two native huskies, Teek

cord then, and gainingday by day. The trail was in excellent condition, well packed and hard,and there was no new-fallen snow with which to contend. It was nottoo cold. T

ted with ice, and theycovered in one day goin

entymiles of lakes), they flew so fast that the man whose turn it was to runtowed behind the sled at the end of a rope. And on the last

Skaguay and were deluged with invitations todrink, while the team was the constant centre of a worshipful crowd ofdog-busters and mushers. Then three or four we

o him, threw his arms ar

and Perrault. Like other men, they

r the wearytrail to Dawson. It was no light running now, nor record time, butheavy toil each day, with a heavy load be

re built, and breakfast was eaten. Then, while some broke camp,others harnessed the dogs, and they were under way an hour or so beforethe darkness fell which gave warning of dawn. At night, camp wasmade. Some pitched the flies, others cut firewood and pine boughs forthe beds, and still others carried water or ice for the cooks. Also, thedogs were fe

Ysabel, the Mexican hairless, and Toots, theJapanese pug; but oftener he remembered the man in the red sweater, thedeath of Curly, the great fight with Spitz, and the good things he hadeaten or would like to eat. He was not homesick. The Sunland wasvery dim and distant, and such memories had n

that as he crouched bythis other fire he saw another and different man from the half-breed cookbefore him. This othe

heavy stone made fast to the end. He was all but naked, a ragged andfire-scorched skin hanging part way down his back, but on his bodythere was much hair. In some places, across the chest and shouldersand down the outside of the arms and thighs, it was matted into almost ath

his legs and slept. On such occasions his elbows were on his knees, hi

two, always two by two, which he knew to bethe eyes of great beasts of prey. And he could he

d stand on end across his shoulders and up his neck,till he whimpered low and suppressedly, or growled softly, and the half-breed cook shouted at him, "Hey, you

ek'srest at least. But in two days' time they dropped down the Yukon bankfrom the Barracks, loaded with letters for the outside. The dogs weretired, the drivers grumbling, and to make matters

e. Still, their strength went down. Since thebeginning of the winter they had travelled eighteen hundred miles,dragging sleds the whole weary distance; and eight

ep each night. Joe wassourer than ever, and Sol-l

wrong with him. He became more morose and irritable, and whenc

ld cryout with pain. The driver examined him, but could find nothing. Allthe drivers became interested in his case. They talked it over at meal-time, and over their last pipes before going to bed, and one night

alling repeatedly in the traces. The Scotch half-breed called a ha