Белый клык
The Wall of the World
Notonlywashisbodytiredwiththeadventuresithadundergone,buthislittlebrainwasequallytired. Inallthedayshehadlivedithadnotworkedsohardasonthisoneday. Furthermore,hewassleepy. Sohestartedouttolookforthecaveandhismother,feelingatthesametimeanoverwhelmingrushoflonelinessandhelplessness.
Hewassprawlingalongbetweensomebushes,whenheheardasharpintimidatingcry. Therewasaflashofyellowbeforehiseyes. Hesawaweaselleapingswiftlyawayfromhim. Itwasasmalllivething,andhehadnofear. Then,beforehim,athisfeet,hesawanextremelysmalllivething,onlyseveralincheslong,ayoungweasel,that,likehimself,haddisobedientlygoneoutadventuring. Ittriedtoretreatbeforehim. Heturneditoverwithhispaw. Itmadeaqueer,gratingnoise. Thenextmomenttheflashofyellowreappearedbeforehiseyes. Heheardagaintheintimidatingcry,andatthesameinstantreceivedasharpblowonthesideoftheneck andfeltthesharpteethofthemother-weaselcutintohisflesh.
Whileheyelpedandki-yi’dandscrambledbackward,hesawthemother-weaselleapuponheryoungoneanddisappearwithitintotheneighbouringthicket. Thecutofherteethinhisneckstillhurt,buthisfeelingswerehurtmoregrievously,andhesatdownandweaklywhimpered. Thismother-weaselwassosmallandsosavage. Hewasyettolearnthatforsizeandweighttheweaselwasthemostferocious,vindictive,andterribleofallthekillersoftheWild. Butaportionofthisknowledgewasquicklytobehis.
Hewasstillwhimperingwhenthemother-weaselreappeared. Shedidnotrushhim,nowthatheryoungonewassafe.
