and in the centre of the clearing stood Buck, motionless as a statue,
waiting their coming. They were awed, so still and large he stood, and
a moment s pause fell, till the boldest one leaped straight for him.
Like a flash Buck struck, breaking the neck. Then he stood, without
movement, as before, the stricken wolf rolling in agony behind him.
Three others tried it in sharp succession; and one after the other they
drew back, streaming blood from slashed throats or shoulders.
This was sufficient to fling the whole pack forward, pell-mell, crowded
together, blocked and confused by its eagerness to pull down the prey.
Buck s marvellous quickness and agility stood him in good stead.
Pivoting on his hind legs, and snapping and gashing, he was everywhere
at once, presenting a front which was apparently unbroken so swiftly
did he whirl and guard from side to side. But to prevent them from
getting behind him, he was forced back, down past the pool and into the
creek bed, till he brought up against a high gravel bank. He worked
along to a right angle in the bank which the men had made in the course
of mining, and in this angle he came to bay, protected on three sides
and with nothing to do but face the front.
And so well did he face it, that at the end of half an hour the wolves
drew back discomfited. The tongues of all were out and lolling, the
white fangs showing cruelly white in the moonlight. Some were lying
down with heads raised and ears pricked forward; others stood on their
feet, watching him; and still others were lapping water from the pool.
One wolf, long and lean and gray, advanced cautiously, in a friendly
manner, and Buck recognized the wild brother with whom he had run for a
night and a day. He was whining softly, and, as Buck whined, they
touched noses.
Then an old wolf, gaunt and battle-scarred, came forward. Buck writhed
his lips into the preliminary of a snarl, but sniffed noses with him,
Whereupon the old wolf sat down, pointed nose at the moon, and broke
out the long wolf howl. The others sat down and howled. And now the
call came to Buck in unmistakable accents. He, too, sat down and
howled. This over, he came out of his angle and the pack crowded around
him, sniffing in half-friendly, half-savage manner. The leaders lifted
the yelp of the pack and sprang away into the woods. The wolves swung
in behind, yelping in chorus. And Buck ran with them, side by side with
the wild brother, yelping as he ran.
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