The call of the wildEnglish.docx

The call of the wildEnglish.docx

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ThecallofthewildEnglish

1Tothenorth

Buckdidnotreadthenewspapers．HedidnotknowthattroublewascomingforeverybigdoginCalifornia．MenhadfoundgoldintheYukon，andthesemenwantedbig，strongdogstoworkinthecoldandsnowofthenorth．

BucklivedinMrMiller'sbighouseinthesunnySantaClaravalleyTherewerelargegardensandfieldsoffruittreesaroundthehouse，andarivernearby．Inabigplacelikethis，ofcourse，thereweremanydogsTherewerehousedogsandfarmdogs，buttheywerenotimportant．Buckwaschiefdog；hewasbornhere，andthiswashisplace．Hewasfouryearsoldandweighedsixtykilos．HewentswimmingwithMrMiller'ssons，andwalkingwithhisdaughters．Hecarriedthegrandchildrenonhisback，andhesatatMrMiller'sfeetinfrontofthefireinwinter．

Butthiswas1897，andBuckdidnotknowthatmenanddogswerehurryingtonorth-westCanadatolookforgold．AndhedidnotknowthatManuel，oneofMrMiller'sgarden－ers，neededmoneyforhislargefamily．Oneday，whenMrMillerwasout，ManuelandBuckleftthegardentogether．Itwasjustaneveningwalk，Buckthought．Noonesawthemgo，andonlyonemansawthemarriveattherailwaystation．ThismantalkedtoManuel，andgavehimsomemoney．ThenhetiedapieceofropearoundBuck'sneck．

Buckgrowled，andwassurprisedwhentheropewaspulledhardaroundhisneck．Hejumpedattheman．ThemancaughthimandsuddenlyBuckwasonhisbackwithhistongueoutofhismouth．Forafewmomentshewasunabletomove，anditwaseasyforthetwomentoputhimintothetrain．

WhenBuckwokeup，thetrainwasstillmoving．Themanwassittingandwatchinghim，butBuckwastooquickforhimandhebittheman'shandhard．ThentheropewaspulledagainandBuckhadtoletgo．

Thatevening，themantookBucktothebackroomofabarinSanFrancisco．Thebarmanlookedattheman'shandandtrouserscoveredinblood．

‘Howmucharetheypayingyouforthis？

’heasked．

‘Ionlygetfiftydollars．’

‘Andthemanwhostolehim—howmuchdidheget？

’askedthebarman．

‘Ahundred．Hewouldn'ttakeless．’

‘Thatmakesahundredandfifty．It'sagoodpriceforadoglikehim．Here，helpmetogethimintothis．’

TheytookoffBuck'sropeandpushedhimintoawoodenbox．Hespentthenightintheboxinthebackroomofthebar．Hisneckstillachedwithpainfromtherope，andhecouldnotunderstandwhatitallmeant．Whatdidtheywantwithhim，thesestrangemen？

AndwherewasMrMiller？

ThenextdayBuckwascarriedintheboxtotherailwaystationandputonatrain

tothenorth．

Fortwodaysandnightsthetraintravellednorth，andfortwodaysandnightsBuckneitheratenordrank．Menonthetrainlaughedathimandpushedsticksathimthroughtheholesinthebox．FortwodaysandnightsBuckgotangrierandhungrierandthirsti-er．Hiseyesgrewredandhebitanythingthatmoved．

InSeattlefourmentookBucktoasmall，high－walledbackgarden，whereafatmaninanoldredcoatwaswaiting．Buckwasnowveryangryindeedandhejumpedandbitatthesidesofhisbox．Thefatmansmiledandwenttogetanaxeandaclub．

‘Areyougoingtotakehimoutnow？

’askedoneofthemen．‘Ofcourse，’answeredthefatman，andhebegantobreaktheboxwithhisaxe．

Immediatelythefourothermenclimbedupontothewalltowatchfromasafeplace．

Asthefatmanhittheboxwithhisaxe，Buckjumpedatthesides，growlingandbiting，pullingwithhisteethatthepiecesofbrokenwood．AfterafewminutestherewasaholebigenoughforBucktogetout．‘Now，comehere，redeyes，’saidthefatman，droppinghisaxeandtakingtheclubinhisrighthand．

Buckjumpedattheman，sixtykilosofanger，hismouthwideopenreadytobitetheman'sneck．Justbeforehisteethtouchedtheskin，themanhithimwiththeclub．Buckfelltotheground．Itwasthefirsttimeanyonehadhithimwithaclubandhedidnotunderstand．Hestoodup，andjumpedagain．Againtheclubhithimandhecrashedtotheground．Tentimeshejumpedattheman，andtentimestheclubhithim．Slowlyhegottohisfeet，nowonlyjustabletostand．Therewasbloodonhisnoseandmouthandears．Thenthefatmanwalkedupandhithimagain，veryhard，onthenose．Thepainwasterrible．Again，Buckjumpedatthemanandagainhewashittotheground．Alasttimehejumped，andthistime，whenthemanknockedhimdown，Buckdidnotmove．

‘Heknowshowtoteachadogalesson，’saidoneofthemenonthewall．Thenthefourmenjumpeddownandwentbacktothestation．

‘HisnameisBuck，’saidthefatmantohimself，readingtheletterthathadcomewiththebox．‘Well，Buck，myby，’hesaidinafriendlyvoice，‘we'vearguedalittle，andIthinkthebestthingtodonowistostop．Beagooddogandwe'llbefriends．Butifyou'reabaddog，I'llhavetousemyclubagain．Understand？

’

Ashespoke，hetouchedBuck’shead，andalthoughBuckwasangryinside，hedidnotmove．Whenthemanbroughthimwaterandmeat，Buckdrankandthenatethemeat，piecebypiece，fromtheman'shand．

Buckwasbeaten（heknewthat）buthewasnotbroken．Hehadlearntthatamanwithaclubwasstrongerthanhim．Everydayhesawmoredogsarrive，andeachdogwasbeatenbythefatman．Buckunderstoodthatamanwithaclubmustbeobeyed，althoughhedidnothavetobeafriend．

Mencametoseethefatmanandtolookatthedogs．Some-timestheypaidmoneyandleftwithoneormoreofthedogs．Onedayashort，darkmancameandlookedatBuck．

‘That'sagooddog！

’hecried．‘Howmuchdoyouwantforhim？

’

‘Threehundreddollars．It'sagoodprice，Perrault，’saidthefatman．

Perraultsmiledandagreedthatitwasagoodprice．Heknewdogs，andheknewthatBuckwasanexcellentdog．

‘Oneintenthousand，’Perraultsaidtohimself．

Bucksawmoneyputintothefatman’shand，andhewasnotsurprisedwhenheandanotherdogcalledCurlyweretakenawaybyPerrault．Hetookthemtoaship，andlaterthatdayBuckandCurlystoodandwatchedthecoastgetfurtherandfurtheraway．Theyhadseenthewarmsouthforthelasttime．

PerraulttookBuckandCurlydowntothebottomoftheship．Theretheymetanotherman，Francois．PerraultwasaFrench－Canadian，butFrancoiswashalf－Indian，tallanddark．BucklearntquicklythatPerraultandFrancoiswerefairmen，calmandhonest．Andtheykneweverythingaboutdogs．

Thereweretwootherdogsontheship．OnewasabigdogcalledSpitz，aswhiteassnow．HewasfriendlytoBuckatfirst，alwayssmiling．HewassmilingwhenhetriedtostealBuck’sfoodatthefirstmeal．FrancoiswasquickandhitSpitzbeforeBuckhadtimetomove．Buckdecidedthatthiswasfair，andbegantolikeFrancoisalittle．

Dave，theotherdog，wasnotfriendly．Hewantedtobealoneallthetime．Heateandsleptandwasinterestedinnothing．

Onedaywasverylikeanother，butBucknoticedthattheweatherwasgettingcolder．Onemorning，theship'senginesstopped，andtherewasafeelingofexcitementintheship．Francoisleashedthedogsandtookthemoutside．AtthefirststepBuck'sfeetwentintosomethingsoftandwhite．Hejumpedbackinsurprise．Thesoft，whitethingwasalsofallingthroughtheair，anditfellontohim．Hetriedtosmellit，andthencaughtsomeonhistongue．Itbitlikefire，andthendisappeared．Hetriedagainandthesamethinghappened．Peoplewerewatchinghimandlaughing，andBuckfeltashamed，althoughhedidnotknowwhy．Itwashisfirstsnow．

2Thelawofclubandtooth

Buck'sfirstdayatDyeaBeachwasterrible．Everyhourtherewassomenew，frighteningsurprise．Therewasnopeace，norest—onlycontinualnoiseandmovement．Andeveryminutetherewasdanger，becausethesedogsandmenwerenottowndogsandmen．Theyknewonlythelawofclubandtooth．

Buckhadneverseendogsfightlikethesedogs；theywerelikewolves．InafewminuteshelearntthisfromwatchingCurly．Shetriedtomakefriendswithadog，abigone，al－thoughnotasbigasshewas．Therewasnowarning．ThedogjumpedonCurly，histeethclosedtogether，thenhejumpedaway，andCurly'sfacewastornopenfromeyetomouth．

Wolvesfightlikethis，bitingandjumpingaway，butthefightdidnotfinishthen．Thirtyorfortymoredogsranupandmadeacirclearoundthefight，watchingsilently．Curlytriedtoattackthedogwhohadbittenher；hebitherasecondtime，andjumpedaway．Whensheattackedhimagain，heknockedherbackwards，andshefellontheground．Sheneverstoodupagain，becausethiswaswhattheotherdogswerewaitingfor．Theymovedin，andinamomentshewasunderacrowdofdogs．

Itwasallverysudden．BucksawSpitzrunoutfromthecrowdwithhistongueoutofhismouth，laughing．ThenhesawFrancoiswithanaxe，andtwoorthreeothermenwithclubsjumpinamongthedogs．Twominuteslaterthelastofthedogswaschasedaway．ButCurlylaydeadinthesnow，herbodytornalmosttopieces．Curly'sdeathoftencamebacktoBuckinhisdreams．Heunderstoodthatonceadogwasdownontheground，hewasdeadHealsorememberedSpitzlaughing，andfromthatmomenthehatedhim．

ThenBuckhadanothersurprise．Francoisputaharnessonhim．Buckhadseenharnessesonhorses，andnowhewasmadetoworklikeahorse，pullingFrancoisonasledgeintotheforestandreturningwithwoodforthefire．BuckworkedwithSpitzandDave．Thetwootherdogshadworkedinahar－nessbefore，andBucklearntbywatchingthem．HealsolearnttostopandturnwhenFrancoisshouted．

‘Thosethreeareverygooddogs，’FrancoistoldPerrault．‘ThatBuckpullsverywell，andhe'slearningquickly．’

PerraulthadimportantlettersandofficialpaperstotaketoDawsonCity，sothatafternoonheboughttwomoredogs，twobrotherscalledBilleeandJoe．Billeewasveryf