Зов предков
The Sounding of the Call
Hebrokeintothelongeasylope,andwenton,hourafterhour,neveratlossforthetangledway,headingstraighthomethroughstrangecountrywithacertitudeofdirectionthatputmanandhismagneticneedletoshame.
Asheheldonhebecamemoreandmoreconsciousofthenewstirintheland. Therewaslifeabroadinitdifferentfromthelifewhichhadbeentherethroughoutthesummer. Nolongerwasthisfactborneinuponhiminsomesubtle,mysteriousway. Thebirdstalkedofit,thesquirrelschatteredaboutit,theverybreezewhisperedofit. Severaltimeshestoppedanddrewinthefreshmorningairingreatsniffs,readingamessagewhichmadehimleaponwithgreaterspeed. Hewasoppressedwithasenseofcalamityhappening,ifitwerenotcalamityalreadyhappened; andashecrossedthelastwatershedanddroppeddownintothevalleytowardcamp,heproceededwithgreatercaution.
Threemilesawayhecameuponafreshtrailthatsenthisneckhairripplingandbristling. ItledstraighttowardcampandJohnThornton. Buckhurriedon,swiftlyandstealthily,everynervestrainingandtense,alerttothemultitudinousdetailswhichtoldastory—allbuttheend. Hisnosegavehimavaryingdescriptionofthepassageofthelifeontheheelsofwhichhewastravelling. Heremarkedthepregnantsilenceoftheforest.
