Зов предков
For the Love of a Man
A"miners’meeting,"calledonthespot,decidedthatthedoghadsufficientprovocation,andBuckwasdischarged. Buthisreputationwasmade,andfromthatdayhisnamespreadthrougheverycampinAlaska.
Lateron,inthefalloftheyear,hesavedJohnThornton’slifeinquiteanotherfashion. Thethreepartnerswereliningalongandnarrowpoling-boatdownabadstretchofrapidsontheForty–MileCreek. HansandPetemovedalongthebank,snubbingwithathinManilaropefromtreetotree,whileThorntonremainedintheboat,helpingitsdescentbymeansofapole,andshoutingdirectionstotheshore. Buck,onthebank,worriedandanxious,keptabreastoftheboat,hiseyesneveroffhismaster.
Ataparticularlybadspot,wherealedgeofbarelysubmergedrocksjuttedoutintotheriver,Hanscastofftherope,and,whileThorntonpoledtheboatoutintothestream,randownthebankwiththeendinhishandtosnubtheboatwhenithadclearedtheledge. Thisitdid,andwasflyingdown-streaminacurrentasswiftasamill-race,whenHanscheckeditwiththeropeandcheckedtoosuddenly. Theboatflirtedoverandsnubbedintothebankbottomup,whileThornton,flungsheeroutofit,wascarrieddown-streamtowardtheworstpartoftherapids,astretchofwildwaterinwhichnoswimmercouldlive.
Buckhadsprunginontheinstant; andattheendofthreehundredyards,amidamadswirlofwater,heoverhauledThornton. Whenhefelthimgrasphistail,Buckheadedforthebank,swimmingwithallhissplendidstrength.
