Identifier: callofwild02lond (find matches)
Title: The call of the wild
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: London, Jack, 1876-1916 Frank Tirro Collection. NcD
Subjects: Animal welfare Feral dogs Pet theft Sled dogs Dogs
Publisher: New York London : The Macmillan company
Contributing Library: Duke University Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Duke University Libraries

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
the Barrens, he had held his own with allmanner of dogs and achieved to mastery overthem. Bitter rage was his, but never blindrage. In passion to rend and destroy, henever forgot that his enemy was in like pas-sion to rend and destroy. He never rushedtill he was prepared to receive a rush; neverattacked till he had first defended that at-tack. In vain Buck strove to sink his teeth inthe neck of the big white dog. Wherever hisfangs struck for the softer flesh, they werecountered by the fangs of Spitz. Fang clashedfang, and lips were cut and bleeding, but Buckcould not penetrate his enemys guard. Thenhe warmed up and enveloped Spitz in a whirl-wind of rushes. Time and time again hetried for the snow-white throat, where lifebubbled near to the surface, and each timeand every time Spitz slashed him and got away.Then Buck took to rushing, as though for thethroat, when, suddenly drawing back his headand curving in from the side, he would drivehis shoulder at the shoulder of Spitz, as a ram
Text Appearing After Image:
It was to the death. DOMINANT PRIMORDIAL BEAST 97 by which to overthrow him. But instead,Bucks shoulder was slashed down each timeas Spitz leaped lightly away. Spitz was untouched, while Buck wasstreaming with blood and panting hard. Thefight was growing desperate. And all the whilethe silent and wolfish circle waited to finish offwhichever dog went down. As Buck grewwinded, Spitz took to rushing, and he kept himstaggering for footing. Once Buck went over,and the whole circle of sixty dogs startedup; but he recovered himself, almost inmid air, and the circle sank down again andwaited. But Buck possessed a quality that made forgreatness — imagination. He fought by in-stinct, but he could fight by head as well. Herushed, as though attempting the old shouldertrick, but at the last instant swept low to thesnow and in. His teeth closed on Spitzs leftfore leg. There was a crunch of breakingbone, and the white dog faced him on threelegs. Thrice he tried to knock him over, thenrepeated the

Note About Images