Белый клык
The Enemy of His Kind
WhiteFangdidnotreasonitout,didnotinhismindmakethesharpgeneralisationthatthewhitegodsweremorepowerful. Itwasafeeling,nothingmore,andyetnonethelesspotent. As,inhispuppyhood,theloomingbulksofthetepees,man-reared,hadaffectedhimasmanifestationsofpower,sowasheaffectednowbythehousesandthehugefortallofmassivelogs. Herewaspower. Thosewhitegodswerestrong. Theypossessedgreatermasteryovermatterthanthegodshehadknown,mostpowerfulamongwhichwasGreyBeaver. AndyetGreyBeaverwasasachild-godamongthesewhite-skinnedones.
Tobesure,WhiteFangonlyfeltthesethings.Hewasnotconsciousofthem. Yetitisuponfeeling,moreoftenthanthinking,thatanimalsact; andeveryactWhiteFangnowperformedwasbaseduponthefeelingthatthewhitemenwerethesuperiorgods. Inthefirstplacehewasverysuspiciousofthem. Therewasnotellingwhatunknownterrorsweretheirs,whatunknownhurtstheycouldadminister. Hewascurioustoobservethem,fearfulofbeingnoticedbythem. Forthefirstfewhourshewascontentwithslinkingaroundandwatchingthemfromasafedistance. Thenhesawthatnoharmbefellthedogsthatwereneartothem,andhecameincloser.
Inturnhewasanobjectofgreatcuriositytothem. Hiswolfishappearancecaughttheireyesatonce,andtheypointedhimouttooneanother. ThisactofpointingputWhiteFangonhisguard,andwhentheytriedtoapproachhimheshowedhisteethandbackedaway. Notonesucceededinlayingahandonhim,anditwaswellthattheydidnot.
WhiteFangsoonlearnedthatveryfewofthesegods—notmorethanadozen—livedatthisplace. Everytwoorthreedaysasteamer(anotherandcolossalmanifestationofpower)cameintothebankandstoppedforseveralhours. Thewhitemencamefromoffthesesteamersandwentawayonthemagain.
