Белый клык
The Famine
Hehadlearnedtogetalongwithouther.Hermeaningwasforgotten. Therewasnoplaceforherinhisschemeofthings,astherewasnoplaceforhiminhers.
Hewasstillstanding,stupidandbewildered,thememoriesforgotten,wonderingwhatitwasallabout, whenKicheattackedhimathirdtime,intentondrivinghimawayaltogetherfromthevicinity. AndWhiteFangallowedhimselftobedrivenaway. Thiswasafemaleofhiskind,anditwasalawofhiskindthatthemalesmustnotfightthefemales. Hedidnotknowanythingaboutthislaw,foritwasnogeneralisationofthemind,notasomethingacquiredbyexperienceoftheworld. Heknewitasasecretprompting,asanurgeofinstinct—ofthesameinstinctthatmadehimhowlatthemoonandstarsofnights,andthatmadehimfeardeathandtheunknown.
Themonthswentby. WhiteFanggrewstronger,heavier,andmorecompact,whilehischaracterwasdevelopingalongthelineslaiddownbyhisheredityandhisenvironment. Hishereditywasalife-stuffthatmaybelikenedtoclay. Itpossessedmanypossibilities,wascapableofbeingmouldedintomanydifferentforms. Environmentservedtomodeltheclay,togiveitaparticularform. Thus,hadWhiteFangnevercomeintothefiresofman,theWildwouldhavemouldedhimintoatruewolf. Butthegodshadgivenhimadifferentenvironment,andhewasmouldedintoadogthatwasratherwolfish,butthatwasadogandnotawolf.
Andso,accordingtotheclayofhisnatureandthepressureofhissurroundings,hischaracterwasbeingmouldedintoacertainparticularshape. Therewasnoescapingit. Hewasbecomingmoremorose,moreuncompanionable,moresolitary,moreferocious; whilethedogswerelearningmoreandmorethatitwasbettertobeatpeacewithhimthanatwar,andGreyBeaverwascomingtoprizehimmoregreatlywiththepassageofeachday.
