Белый клык
The Wall of the World
Outofhispuninessandfrighthechallengedandmenacedthewholewideworld.
Nothinghappened. Hecontinuedtogaze,andinhisinterestheforgottosnarl. Also,heforgottobeafraid. Forthetime,fearhadbeenroutedbygrowth,whilegrowthhadassumedtheguiseofcuriosity. Hebegantonoticenearobjects —anopenportionofthestreamthatflashedinthesun,theblastedpine-treethatstoodatthebaseoftheslope, andtheslopeitself,thatranrightuptohimandceasedtwofeetbeneaththelipofthecaveonwhichhecrouched.
Nowthegreycubhadlivedallhisdaysonalevelfloor. Hehadneverexperiencedthehurtofafall. Hedidnotknowwhatafallwas. Sohesteppedboldlyoutupontheair. Hishind-legsstillrestedonthecave-lip,sohefellforwardheaddownward. Theearthstruckhimaharshblowonthenosethatmadehimyelp. Thenhebeganrollingdowntheslope,overandover. Hewasinapanicofterror. Theunknownhadcaughthimatlast. Ithadgrippedsavagelyholdofhimandwasabouttowreakuponhimsometerrifichurt. Growthwasnowroutedbyfear,andheki-yi’dlikeanyfrightenedpuppy.
Theunknownborehimonheknewnottowhatfrightfulhurt,andheyelpedandki-yi’dunceasingly. Thiswasadifferentpropositionfromcrouchinginfrozenfearwhiletheunknownlurkedjustalongside. Nowtheunknownhadcaughttightholdofhim. Silencewoulddonogood. Besides,itwasnotfear,butterror,thatconvulsedhim.
Buttheslopegrewmoregradual,anditsbasewasgrass-covered. Herethecublostmomentum. Whenatlasthecametoastop,hegaveonelastagonisedyellandthenalong,whimperingwail.
