Белый клык
The Famine
Hadhenotbeenhungryhimself,WhiteFangmighthavegonewithhimandeventuallyfoundhiswayintothepackamongsthiswildbrethren. Asitwas,herantheyoungwolfdownandkilledandatehim.
Fortuneseemedtofavourhim. Always,whenhardestpressedforfood,hefoundsomethingtokill. Again,whenhewasweak,itwashisluckthatnoneofthelargerpreyinganimalschanceduponhim. Thus,hewasstrongfromthetwodays’eatingalynxhadaffordedhimwhenthehungrywolf-packranfulltiltuponhim. Itwasalong,cruelchase,buthewasbetternourishedthanthey,andintheendoutranthem. Andnotonlydidheoutrunthem,but,circlingwidelybackonhistrack,hegatheredinoneofhisexhaustedpursuers.
Afterthatheleftthatpartofthecountryandjourneyedovertothevalleywhereinhehadbeenborn. Here,intheoldlair,heencounteredKiche. Uptoheroldtricks,she,too,hadfledtheinhospitablefiresofthegodsandgonebacktoheroldrefugetogivebirthtoheryoung. OfthislitterbutoneremainedalivewhenWhiteFangcameuponthescene,andthisonewasnotdestinedtolivelong. Younglifehadlittlechanceinsuchafamine.
Kiche’sgreetingofhergrownsonwasanythingbutaffectionate. ButWhiteFangdidnotmind. Hehadoutgrownhismother.Soheturnedtailphilosophicallyandtrottedonupthestream. Attheforkshetooktheturningtotheleft,wherehefoundthelairofthelynxwithwhomhismotherandhehadfoughtlongbefore. Here,intheabandonedlair,hesettleddownandrestedforaday.
Duringtheearlysummer,inthelastdaysofthefamine,hemetLip-lip, whohadlikewisetakentothewoods,wherehehadekedoutamiserableexistence.
