03-01-02-野性的呼唤 [6]
—Buck 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
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