Белый клык
The Famine
Theyquicklylearnedtoleavehimalone,neitherventuringhostileactsnormakingoverturesoffriendliness. Iftheylefthimalone,heleftthemalone—astateofaffairsthattheyfound,afterafewencounters,tobepre-eminentlydesirable.
InmidsummerWhiteFanghadanexperience. Trottingalonginhissilentwaytoinvestigateanewtepeewhichhadbeenerectedontheedgeofthevillagewhilehewasawaywiththehuntersaftermoose,hecamefulluponKiche. Hepausedandlookedather. Herememberedhervaguely,butherememberedher,andthatwasmorethancouldbesaidforher. Sheliftedherlipathimintheoldsnarlofmenace,andhismemorybecameclear. Hisforgottencubhood,allthatwasassociatedwiththatfamiliarsnarl,rushedbacktohim. Beforehehadknownthegods,shehadbeentohimthecentre-pinoftheuniverse. Theoldfamiliarfeelingsofthattimecamebackuponhim,surgedupwithinhim. Heboundedtowardsherjoyously,andshemethimwithshrewdfangsthatlaidhischeekopentothebone. Hedidnotunderstand.Hebackedaway,bewilderedandpuzzled.
ButitwasnotKiche’sfault. Awolf-motherwasnotmadetorememberhercubsofayearorsobefore. SoshedidnotrememberWhiteFang. Hewasastrangeanimal,anintruder;andherpresentlitterofpuppiesgavehertherighttoresentsuchintrusion.
OneofthepuppiessprawleduptoWhiteFang. Theywerehalf-brothers,onlytheydidnotknowit. WhiteFangsniffedthepuppycuriously,whereuponKicherusheduponhim,gashinghisfaceasecondtime. Hebackedfartheraway. Alltheoldmemoriesandassociationsdieddownagainandpassedintothegravefromwhichtheyhadbeenresurrected. HelookedatKichelickingherpuppyandstoppingnowandthentosnarlathim. Shewaswithoutvaluetohim.
