Белый клык
The Wall of the World
Itremainedtohimawhitewalloflight. Whenhismotherwasabsent,hesleptmostofthetime, whileduringtheintervalsthathewasawakehekeptveryquiet,suppressingthewhimperingcriesthattickledinhisthroatandstrovefornoise.
Once,lyingawake,heheardastrangesoundinthewhitewall. Hedidnotknowthatitwasawolverine, standingoutside,alla-tremblingwithitsowndaring,andcautiouslyscentingoutthecontentsofthecave. Thecubknewonlythatthesniffwasstrange,asomethingunclassified,thereforeunknownandterrible —fortheunknownwasoneofthechiefelementsthatwentintothemakingoffear.
Thehairbristleduponthegreycub’sback,butitbristledsilently. Howwashetoknowthatthisthingthatsniffedwasathingatwhichtobristle? Itwasnotbornofanyknowledgeofhis,yetitwasthevisibleexpressionofthefearthatwasinhim,andforwhich,inhisownlife,therewasnoaccounting. Butfearwasaccompaniedbyanotherinstinct—thatofconcealment. Thecubwasinafrenzyofterror,yethelaywithoutmovementorsound,frozen,petrifiedintoimmobility,toallappearancesdead. Hismother,cominghome,growledasshesmeltthewolverine’strack, andboundedintothecaveandlickedandnozzledhimwithunduevehemenceofaffection. Andthecubfeltthatsomehowhehadescapedagreathurt.
Buttherewereotherforcesatworkinthecub,thegreatestofwhichwasgrowth. Instinctandlawdemandedofhimobedience. Butgrowthdemandeddisobedience. Hismotherandfearimpelledhimtokeepawayfromthewhitewall. Growthislife,andlifeisforeverdestinedtomakeforlight. Sotherewasnodammingupthetideoflifethatwasrisingwithinhim —risingwitheverymouthfulofmeatheswallowed,witheverybreathhedrew.
