Зов предков
The Sounding of the Call
Fish,inopenpools,werenottooquickforhim;norwerebeaver,mendingtheirdams,toowary. Hekilledtoeat,notfromwantonness; buthepreferredtoeatwhathekilledhimself. Soalurkinghumorranthroughhisdeeds,anditwashisdelighttostealuponthesquirrels,and,whenheallbuthadthem,toletthemgo,chatteringinmortalfeartothetreetops.
Asthefalloftheyearcameon,themooseappearedingreaterabundance,movingslowlydowntomeetthewinterinthelowerandlessrigorousvalleys. Buckhadalreadydraggeddownastraypart-growncalf;buthewishedstronglyforlargerandmoreformidablequarry,andhecameuponitonedayonthedivideattheheadofthecreek. Abandoftwentymoosehadcrossedoverfromthelandofstreamsandtimber,andchiefamongthemwasagreatbull. Hewasinasavagetemper,and,standingoversixfeetfromtheground,wasasformidableanantagonistasevenBuckcoulddesire. Backandforththebulltossedhisgreatpalmatedantlers,branchingtofourteenpointsandembracingsevenfeetwithinthetips. Hissmalleyesburnedwithaviciousandbitterlight,whileheroaredwithfuryatsightofBuck.
Fromthebull’sside,justforwardoftheflank,protrudedafeatheredarrow-end,whichaccountedforhissavageness. Guidedbythatinstinctwhichcamefromtheoldhuntingdaysoftheprimordialworld,Buckproceededtocutthebulloutfromtheherd. Itwasnoslighttask.
