Белый клык
The Covenant
Blowswereraininguponhimfromallsides. WhiteFanglookedonatfirst.Thiswasanaffairofthegods,andnoconcernofhis. ThenherealisedthatthiswasMit-sah,oneofhisownparticulargods,whowasbeingmaltreated. ItwasnoreasonedimpulsethatmadeWhiteFangdowhathethendid. Amadrushofangersenthimleapinginamongstthecombatants. Fiveminuteslaterthelandscapewascoveredwithfleeingboys,manyofwhomdrippedblooduponthesnowintokenthatWhiteFang’steethhadnotbeenidle. WhenMit-sahtoldthestoryincamp,GreyBeaverorderedmeattobegiventoWhiteFang. Heorderedmuchmeattobegiven,andWhiteFang,gorgedandsleepybythefire,knewthatthelawhadreceiveditsverification.
ItwasinlinewiththeseexperiencesthatWhiteFangcametolearnthelawofpropertyandthedutyofthedefenceofproperty. Fromtheprotectionofhisgod’sbodytotheprotectionofhisgod’spossessionswasastep,andthisstephemade. Whatwashisgod’swastobedefendedagainstalltheworld—eventotheextentofbitingothergods. Notonlywassuchanactsacrilegiousinitsnature,butitwasfraughtwithperil. Thegodswereall-powerful,andadogwasnomatchagainstthem; yetWhiteFanglearnedtofacethem,fiercelybelligerentandunafraid. Dutyroseabovefear,andthievinggodslearnedtoleaveGreyBeaver’spropertyalone.
Onething,inthisconnection,WhiteFangquicklylearnt,andthatwasthatathievinggodwasusuallyacowardlygodandpronetorunawayatthesoundingofthealarm. Also,helearnedthatbutbrieftimeelapsedbetweenhissoundingofthealarmandGreyBeavercomingtohisaid. Hecametoknowthatitwasnotfearofhimthatdrovethethiefaway,butfearofGreyBeaver. WhiteFangdidnotgivethealarmbybarking.Heneverbarked. Hismethodwastodrivestraightattheintruder,andtosinkhisteethinifhecould.
