white fang(白牙)-第2节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
the dogs an' there was still six of 'em。 The tracks is there in the snow now。
D'ye want to look at 'em？ I'll show 'em to you。〃
Henry did not reply； but munched on in silence； until； the meal
finished； he topped it with a final cup a of coffee。 He wiped his mouth
with the back of his hand and said：
〃Then you're thinkin' as it was … 〃
A long wailing cry； fiercely sad； from somewhere in the darkness； had
interrupted him。 He stopped to listen to it； then he finished his sentence
with a wave of his hand toward the sound of the cry； 〃 … one of them？〃
Bill nodded。 〃I'd a blame sight sooner think that than anything else。
You noticed yourself the row the dogs made。〃
Cry after cry； and answering cries； were turning the silence into a
bedlam。 From every side the cries arose； and the dogs betrayed their fear
by huddling together and so close to the fire that their hair was scorched
by the heat。 Bill threw on more wood； before lighting his pipe。
〃I'm thinking you're down in the mouth some；〃 Henry said。
〃Henry 。 。 。 〃 He sucked meditatively at his pipe for some time before
6
… Page 7…
White Fang
he went on。 〃Henry； I was a…thinkin' what a blame sight luckier he is than
you an' me'll ever be。〃
He indicated the third person by a downward thrust of the thumb to the
box on which they sat。
〃You an' me； Henry； when we die； we'll be lucky if we get enough
stones over our carcases to keep the dogs off of us。〃
〃But we ain't got people an' money an' all the rest； like him；〃 Henry
rejoined。 〃Long…distance funerals is somethin' you an' me can't exactly
afford。〃
〃What gets me； Henry； is what a chap like this； that's a lord or
something in his own country； and that's never had to bother about grub
nor blankets； why he comes a…buttin' round the Godforsaken ends of the
earth … that's what I can't exactly see。〃
〃He might have lived to a ripe old age if he'd stayed at home；〃 Henry
agreed。
Bill opened his mouth to speak； but changed his mind。 Instead； he
pointed towards the wall of darkness that pressed about them from every
side。 There was no suggestion of form in the utter blackness； only could be
seen a pair of eyes gleaming like live coals。 Henry indicated with his head
a second pair； and a third。 A circle of the gleaming eyes had drawn about
their camp。 Now and again a pair of eyes moved； or disappeared to appear
again a moment later。
The unrest of the dogs had been increasing； and they stampeded； in a
surge of sudden fear； to the near side of the fire； cringing and crawling
about the legs of the men。 In the scramble one of the dogs had been
overturned on the edge of the fire； and it had yelped with pain and fright as
the smell of its singed coat possessed the air。 The commotion caused the
circle of eyes to shift restlessly for a moment and even to withdraw a bit；
but it settled down again as the dogs became quiet。
〃Henry； it's a blame misfortune to be out of ammunition。〃
Bill had finished his pipe and was helping his companion to spread the
bed of fur and blanket upon the spruce boughs which he had laid over the
snow before supper。 Henry grunted； and began unlacing his mocassins。
〃How many cartridges did you say you had left？〃 he asked。
7
… Page 8…
White Fang
〃Three；〃 came the answer。 〃An' I wisht 'twas three hundred。 Then I'd
show 'em what for； damn 'em！〃
He shook his fist angrily at the gleaming eyes； and began securely to
prop his moccasins before the fire。
〃An' I wisht this cold snap'd break；〃 he went on。 〃It's ben fifty below
for two weeks now。 An' I wisht I'd never started on this trip； Henry。 I don't
like the looks of it。 I don't feel right； somehow。 An' while I'm wishin'； I
wisht the trip was over an' done with； an' you an' me a…sittin' by the fire in
Fort McGurry just about now an' playing cribbage … that's what I wisht。〃
Henry grunted and crawled into bed。 As he dozed off he was aroused
by his comrade's voice。
〃Say； Henry； that other one that come in an' got a fish … why didn't the
dogs pitch into it？ That's what's botherin' me。〃
〃You're botherin' too much； Bill；〃 came the sleepy response。 〃You was
never like this before。 You jes' shut up now； an' go to sleep； an' you'll be all
hunkydory in the mornin'。 Your stomach's sour； that's what's botherin'
you。〃
The men slept； breathing heavily； side by side； under the one covering。
The fire died down； and the gleaming eyes drew closer the circle they had
flung about the camp。 The dogs clustered together in fear； now and again
snarling menacingly as a pair of eyes drew close。 Once their uproar
became so loud that Bill woke up。 He got out of bed carefully； so as not to
disturb the sleep of his comrade； and threw more wood on the fire。 As it
began to flame up； the circle of eyes drew farther back。 He glanced
casually at the huddling dogs。 He rubbed his eyes and looked at them more
sharply。 Then he crawled back into the blankets。
〃Henry；〃 he said。 〃Oh； Henry。〃
Henry groaned as he passed from sleep to waking； and demanded；
〃What's wrong now？〃
〃Nothin'；〃 came the answer； 〃only there's seven of 'em again。 I just
counted。〃
Henry acknowledged receipt of the information with a grunt that slid
into a snore as he drifted back into sleep。
In the morning it was Henry who awoke first and routed his
8
… Page 9…
White Fang
companion out of bed。 Daylight was yet three hours away； though it was
already six o'clock； and in the darkness Henry went about preparing
breakfast； while Bill rolled the blankets and made the sled ready for
lashing。
〃Say； Henry；〃 he asked suddenly； 〃how many dogs did you say we
had？〃
〃Six。〃
〃Wrong；〃 Bill proclaimed triumphantly。
〃Seven again？〃 Henry queried。
〃No； five； one's gone。〃
〃The hell！〃 Henry cried in wrath； leaving the cooking to come and
count the dogs。
〃You're right； Bill；〃 he concluded。 〃Fatty's gone。〃
〃An' he went like greased lightnin' once he got started。 Couldn't 've
seen 'm for smoke。〃
〃No chance at all；〃 Henry concluded。 〃They jes' swallowed 'm alive。 I
bet he was yelpin' as he went down their throats； damn 'em！〃
〃He always was a fool dog；〃 said Bill。
〃But no fool dog ought to be fool enough to go off an' commit suicide
that way。〃 He looked over the remainder of the team with a speculative
eye that summed up instantly the salient traits of each animal。 〃I bet none
of the others would do it。〃
〃Couldn't drive 'em away from the fire with a club；〃 Bill agreed。 〃I
always did think there was somethin' wrong with Fatty anyway。〃
And this was the epitaph of a dead dog on the Northland trail … less
scant than the epitaph of many another dog； of many a man。
9
… Page 10…
White Fang
CHAPTER II … THE SHE…WOLF
Breakfast eaten and the slim camp…outfit lashed to the sled； the men
turned their backs on the cheery fire and launched out into the darkness。 At
once began to rise the cries that were fiercely sad … cries that called
through the darkness and cold to one another and answered back。
Conversation ceased。 Daylight came at nine o'clock。 At midday the sky to
the south warmed to rose…colour； and marked where the bulge of the earth
intervened between the meridian sun and the northern world。 But the rose…
colour swiftly faded。 The grey light of day that remained lasted until three
o'clock； when it； too； faded； and the pall of the Arctic night descended
upon the lone and silent land。
As darkness came on； the hunting…cries to right and left and rear drew
closer … so close that more than once they sent surges of fear through the
toiling dogs； throwing them into short…lived panics。
At the conclusion of one such panic； when he and Henry had
