white fang(白牙)-第14节
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them flickered and died down。
One Eye was desperate。 He ranged far and wide； and slept but little in
the lair that had now become cheerless and miserable。 The she…wolf； too；
left her litter and went out in search of meat。 In the first days after the birth
of the cubs； One Eye had journeyed several times back to the Indian camp
and robbed the rabbit snares； but； with the melting of the snow and the
opening of the streams； the Indian camp had moved away； and that source
of supply was closed to him。
When the grey cub came back to life and again took interest in the far
white wall； he found that the population of his world had been reduced。
Only one sister remained to him。 The rest were gone。 As he grew stronger；
he found himself compelled to play alone； for the sister no longer lifted
her head nor moved about。 His little body rounded out with the meat he
now ate； but the food had come too late for her。 She slept continuously； a
tiny skeleton flung round with skin in which the flame flickered lower and
lower and at last went out。
Then there came a time when the grey cub no longer saw his father
appearing and disappearing in the wall nor lying down asleep in the
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entrance。 This had happened at the end of a second and less severe famine。
The she…wolf knew why One Eye never came back； but there was no way
by which she could tell what she had seen to the grey cub。 Hunting herself
for meat； up the left fork of the stream where lived the lynx； she had
followed a day…old trail of One Eye。 And she had found him； or what
remained of him； at the end of the trail。 There were many signs of the
battle that had been fought； and of the lynx's withdrawal to her lair after
having won the victory。 Before she went away； the she…wolf had found this
lair； but the signs told her that the lynx was inside； and she had not dared
to venture in。
After that； the she…wolf in her hunting avoided the left fork。 For she
knew that in the lynx's lair was a litter of kittens； and she knew the lynx
for a fierce； bad…tempered creature and a terrible fighter。 It was all very
well for half a dozen wolves to drive a lynx； spitting and bristling； up a
tree； but it was quite a different matter for a lone wolf to encounter a lynx
… especially when the lynx was known to have a litter of hungry kittens at
her back。
But the Wild is the Wild； and motherhood is motherhood； at all times
fiercely protective whether in the Wild or out of it； and the time was to
come when the she…wolf； for her grey cub's sake； would venture the left
fork； and the lair in the rocks； and the lynx's wrath。
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CHAPTER IV … THE WALL OF THE WORLD
By the time his mother began leaving the cave on hunting expeditions；
the cub had learned well the law that forbade his approaching the entrance。
Not only had this law been forcibly and many times impressed on him by
his mother's nose and paw； but in him the instinct of fear was developing。
Never； in his brief cave… life； had he encountered anything of which to be
afraid。 Yet fear was in him。 It had come down to him from a remote
ancestry through a thousand thousand lives。 It was a heritage he had
received directly from One Eye and the she…wolf； but to them； in turn； it
had been passed down through all the generations of wolves that had gone
before。 Fear！ … that legacy of the Wild which no animal may escape nor
exchange for pottage。
So the grey cub knew fear； though he knew not the stuff of which fear
was made。 Possibly he accepted it as one of the restrictions of life。 For he
had already learned that there were such restrictions。 Hunger he had
known； and when he could not appease his hunger he had felt restriction。
The hard obstruction of the cave…wall； the sharp nudge of his mother's
nose； the smashing stroke of her paw； the hunger unappeased of several
famines； had borne in upon him that all was not freedom in the world； that
to life there was limitations and restraints。 These limitations and restraints
were laws。 To be obedient to them was to escape hurt and make for
happiness。
He did not reason the question out in this man fashion。 He merely
classified the things that hurt and the things that did not hurt。 And after
such classification he avoided the things that hurt； the restrictions and
restraints； in order to enjoy the satisfactions and the remunerations of life。
Thus it was that in obedience to the law laid down by his mother； and
in obedience to the law of that unknown and nameless thing； fear； he kept
away from the mouth of the cave。 It remained to him a white wall of light。
When his mother was absent； he slept most of the time； while during the
intervals that he was awake he kept very quiet； suppressing the
whimpering cries that tickled in his throat and strove for noise。
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Once； lying awake； he heard a strange sound in the white wall。 He did
not know that it was a wolverine； standing outside； all a… trembling with its
own daring； and cautiously scenting out the contents of the cave。 The cub
knew only that the sniff was strange； a something unclassified； therefore
unknown and terrible … for the unknown was one of the chief elements that
went into the making of fear。
The hair bristled upon the grey cub's back； but it bristled silently。 How
was he to know that this thing that sniffed was a thing at which to bristle？
It was not born of any knowledge of his； yet it was the visible expression
of the fear that was in him； and for which； in his own life； there was no
accounting。 But fear was accompanied by another instinct … that of
concealment。 The cub was in a frenzy of terror； yet he lay without
movement or sound； frozen； petrified into immobility； to all appearances
dead。 His mother； coming home； growled as she smelt the wolverine's
track； and bounded into the cave and licked and nozzled him with undue
vehemence of affection。 And the cub felt that somehow he had escaped a
great hurt。
But there were other forces at work in the cub； the greatest of which
was growth。 Instinct and law demanded of him obedience。 But growth
demanded disobedience。 His mother and fear impelled him to keep away
from the white wall。 Growth is life； and life is for ever destined to make
for light。 So there was no damming up the tide of life that was rising
within him … rising with every mouthful of meat he swallowed； with every
breath he drew。 In the end； one day； fear and obedience were swept away
by the rush of life； and the cub straddled and sprawled toward the
entrance。
Unlike any other wall with which he had had experience； this wall
seemed to recede from him as he approached。 No hard surface collided
with the tender little nose he thrust out tentatively before him。 The
substance of the wall seemed as permeable and yielding as light。 And as
condition； in his eyes； had the seeming of form； so he entered into what
had been wall to him and bathed in the substance that composed it。
It was bewildering。 He was sprawling through solidity。 And ever the
light grew brighter。 Fear urged him to go back； but growth drove him on。
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Suddenly he found himself at the mouth of the cave。 The wall； inside
which he had thought himself； as suddenly leaped back before him to an
immeasurable distance。 The light had become painfully bright。 He was
dazzled by it。 Likewise he was made dizzy by this abrupt and tremendous
extension of space。 Automatically； his eyes were adjusting themselves to
the brightness； focusing themselves to meet the increased distance of
objects。 At first； the wall had leaped beyond his vision。 He now saw it
again； but it had taken upon itself
