Белый клык
The Enemy of His Kind
Hebecameanadeptatfighting. Heeconomised.Heneverwastedhisstrength,nevertussled. Hewasintooquicklyforthat,and,ifhemissed,wasoutagaintooquickly. Thedislikeofthewolfforclosequarterswashistoanunusualdegree. Hecouldnotendureaprolongedcontactwithanotherbody. Itsmackedofdanger.Itmadehimfrantic. Hemustbeaway,free,onhisownlegs,touchingnolivingthing. ItwastheWildstillclingingtohim,assertingitselfthroughhim. ThisfeelinghadbeenaccentuatedbytheIshmaelitelifehehadledfromhispuppyhood. Dangerlurkedincontacts. Itwasthetrap,everthetrap,thefearofitlurkingdeepinthelifeofhim,wovenintothefibreofhim.
Inconsequence,thestrangedogsheencounteredhadnochanceagainsthim. Heeludedtheirfangs. Hegotthem,orgotaway,himselfuntouchedineitherevent. Inthenaturalcourseofthingstherewereexceptionstothis. Thereweretimeswhenseveraldogs,pitchingontohim,punishedhimbeforehecouldgetaway;andthereweretimeswhenasingledogscoreddeeplyonhim. Butthesewereaccidents. Inthemain,soefficientafighterhadhebecome,hewenthiswayunscathed.
Anotheradvantagehepossessedwasthatofcorrectlyjudgingtimeanddistance. Notthathedidthisconsciously,however.Hedidnotcalculatesuchthings.Itwasallautomatic. Hiseyessawcorrectly,andthenervescarriedthevisioncorrectlytohisbrain. Thepartsofhimwerebetteradjustedthanthoseoftheaveragedog. Theyworkedtogethermoresmoothlyandsteadily. Hiswasabetter,farbetter,nervous,mental,andmuscularco-ordination. Whenhiseyesconveyedtohisbrainthemovingimageofanaction,hisbrainwithoutconsciouseffort,knewthespacethatlimitedthatactionandthetimerequiredforitscompletion. Thus,hecouldavoidtheleapofanotherdog,orthedriveofitsfangs,andatthesamemomentcouldseizetheinfinitesimalfractionoftimeinwhichtodeliverhisownattack.
