the call of the wild chapter 7.docx

the call of the wild chapter 7.docx

《the call of the wild chapter 7.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《the call of the wild chapter 7.docx（14页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

thecallofthewildchapter7

CHAPTER7

THESOUNDINGOFTHECALL

WhenBuckearnedsixteenhundreddollarsinfiveminutesforJohnThornton,hemadeitpossibleforhismastertopayoffcertaindebtsandtojourneywithhispartnersintotheEastafterafabledlostmine,thehistoryofwhichwasasoldasthehistoryofthecountry.Manymenhadsoughtit;fewhadfoundit;andmorethanafewtherewerewhohadneverreturnedfromthequest.Thislostminewassteepedintragedyandshroudedinmystery.Nooneknewofthefirstman.Theoldesttraditionstoppedbeforeitgotbacktohim.Fromthebeginningtherehadbeenanancientandramshacklecabin.Dyingmenhadsworntoit,andtotheminethesiteofwhichitmarked,clinchingtheirtestimonywithnuggetsthatwereunlikeanyknowngradeofgoldintheNorthland.

Butnolivingmanhadlootedthistreasurehouse,andthedeadweredead;whereforeJohnThorntonandPeteandHans,withBuckandhalfadozenotherdogs,facedintotheEastonanunknowntrailtoachievewheremenanddogsasgoodasthemselveshadfailed.TheysleddedseventymilesuptheYukon,swungtotheleftintotheStewartRiver,passedtheMayoandtheMcQuestion,andheldonuntiltheStewartitselfbecameastreamlet,threadingtheupstandingpeakswhichmarkedthebackboneofthecontinent.

JohnThorntonaskedlittleofmanornature.Hewasunafraidofthewild.Withahandfulofsaltandariflehecouldplungeintothewildernessandfarewhereverhepleasedandaslongashepleased.Beinginnohaste,Indianfashion,hehuntedhisdinnerinthecourseoftheday'straveling;andifhefailedtofindit,liketheIndian,hekeptontraveling,secureintheknowledgethatsoonerorlaterhewouldcometoit.So,onthisgreatjourneyintotheEast,straightmeatwasthebilloffare,ammunitionandtoolsprincipallymadeuptheloadonthesled,andthetimecardwasdrawnuponthelimitlessfuture.

ToBuckitwasboundlessdelight,thishunting,fishing,andindefinitewanderingthroughstrangeplaces.Forweeksatatimetheywouldholdonsteadily,dayafterday;andforweeksuponendtheywouldcamp,hereandthere,thedogsloafingandthemenburningholesthroughfrozenmuckandgravelandwashingcountlesspansofdirtbytheheatofthefire.Sometimestheywenthungry,sometimestheyfeastedriotously,allaccordingtotheabundanceofgameandthefortuneofhunting.Summerarrived,anddogsandmen,packsontheirbacks,raftedacrossbluemountainlakes,anddescendedorascendedunknownriversinslenderboatswhipsawedfromthestandingforest.

Themonthscameandwent,andbackandforththeytwistedthroughtheunchartedvastness,wherenomenwereandyetwheremenhadbeeniftheLostCabinweretrue.Theywentacrossdividesinsummerblizzards,shiveredunderthemidnightsunonnakedmountainsbetweenthetimberlineandtheeternalsnows,droppedintosummervalleysamidswarminggnatsandflies,andintheshadowsofglacierspickedstrawberriesandflowersasripeandfairasanytheSouthlandcouldboast.Inthefalloftheyeartheypenetratedaweirdlakecountry,sadandsilent,wherewildfowlhadbeen,butwherethentherewasnolifenorsignoflife--onlytheblowingofchillwinds,theformingoficeinshelteredplaces,andthemelancholyripplingofwavesonlonelybeaches.

Andthroughanotherwintertheywanderedontheobliteratedtrailsofmenwhohadgonebefore.Once,theycameuponapathblazedthroughouttheforest,anancientpath,andtheLostCabinseemedverynear.Butthepathbegannowhereandendednowhere,andremainedamystery,asthemanwhomadeitandthereasonhemadeitremainedamystery.Anothertimetheychanceduponthetime-gravenwreckageofahuntinglodge,andamidtheshredsofrottedblanketsJohnThorntonfoundalong-barreledflintlock.HeknewitforaHudsonBayCompanygunoftheyoungdaysintheNorthwest,whensuchagunwasworthitsweightinbeaverskinspackedflat.Andthatwasall--nohintastothemanwhoinanearlydayhadrearedthelodgeandleftthegunamongtheblankets.

Springcameononcemore,andattheendofalltheirwanderingtheyfound,nottheLostCabin,butashallowplacerinabroadvalleywherethegoldshowedlikeyellowbutteracrossthebottomofthewashingpan.Theysoughtnofarther.Eachdaytheyworkedearnedthemthousandsofdollarsincleandustandnuggets,andtheyworkedeveryday.Thegoldwassackedinmoosehidebags,fiftypoundstothebag,andpiledlikesomuchfirewoodoutsidethespruce-boughlodge.Likegiantstheytoiled,daysflashingontheheelsofdayslikedreamsastheyheapedthetreasureup.

Therewasnothingforthedogstodo,savethehaulingofmeatnowandagainthatThorntonkilled,andBuckspentlonghoursmusingbythefire.Thevisionoftheshort-leggedhairymancametohimmorefrequently,nowthattherewaslittleworktobedone;andoften,blinkingbythefire,Buckwanderedwithhiminthatotherworldwhichheremembered.

Thesalientthingofthisotherworldseemedfear.Whenhewatchedthehairymansleepingbythefire,headbetweenhiskneesandhandsclaspedabove,Bucksawthathesleptrestlessly,withmanystartsandawakeningsatwhichtimeshewouldpeerfearfullyintothedarknessandflingmorewooduponthefire.Didtheywalkbythebeachofasea,wherethehairymangatheredshellfishandatethemashegathered,itwaswitheyesthatrovedeverywhereforhiddendangerandwithlegspreparedtorunlikethewindatitsfirstappearance.Throughtheforesttheycreptnoiselessly,Buckatthehairyman'sheels;andtheywerealertandvigilant,thepairofthem,earstwitchingandmovingandnostrilsquivering,forthemanheardandsmelledaskeenlyasBuck.Thehairymancouldspringupintothetreesandtravelaheadasfastasontheground,swingingbythearmsfromlimbtolimb,sometimesadozenfeetapart,lettinggoandcatching,neverfalling,nevermissinghisgrip.Infact,heseemedasmuchathomeamongthetreesasontheground;andBuckhadmemoriesofnightsofvigilspentbeneaththetreeswhereinthehairymanroosted,holdingontightlyasheslept.

Andcloselyakintothevisionsofthehairymanwasthecallstillsoundinginthedepthsoftheforest.Itfilledhimwithagreatunrestandstrangedesires.Itcausedhimtofeelavague,sweetgladness,andhewasawareofwildyearningsandstirringsforheknewnotwhat.Sometimeshepursuedthecallintotheforest,lookingforitasthoughitwereatangiblething,barkingsoftlyordefiantly,asthemoodmightdictate.Hewouldthrusthisnoseintothecoolwoodmoss,orintotheblacksoilwherelonggrassesgrew,andsnortwithjoyatthefatearthsmells;orhewouldcrouchforhours,asifinconcealment,behindfunguscoveredtrunksoffallentrees,wide-eyedandwide-earedtoallthatmovedandsoundedabouthim.Itmightbe,lyingthus,thathehopedtosurprisethiscallhecouldnotunderstand.Buthedidnotknowwhyhedidthesevariousthings.Hewasimpelledtodothem,anddidnotreasonaboutthematall.

Irresistibleimpulsesseizedhim.Hewouldbelyingincamp,dozinglazilyintheheatoftheday,whensuddenlyhisheadwouldliftandhisearscockup,intentandlistening,andhewouldspringtohisfeetanddashaway,andonandon,forhours,throughtheforestaislesandacrosstheopenspaceswheretheniggerheadsbunched.Helovedtorundowndrywatercourses,andtocreepandspyuponthebirdlifeinthewoods.Foradayatatimehewouldlieintheunderbrushwherehecouldwatchthepartridgesdrummingandstruttingupanddown.Butespeciallyhelovedtoruninthedimtwilightofthesummermidnights,listeningtothesubduedandsleepymurmursoftheforest,readingsignsandsoundsasmanmayreadabook,andseekingforthemysterioussomethingthatcalled--called,wakingorsleeping,atalltimes,forhimtocome.

Onenighthesprangfromsleepwithastart,eager-eyed,nostrilsquiveringandscenting,hismanebristlinginrecurrentwaves.Fromtheforestcamethecall--（oronenoteofit,forthecallwasmany-noted）,distinctanddefiniteasneverbefore--along-drawnhowl,like,yetunlike,anynoisemadebyhuskydog.Andheknewit,intheoldfamiliarway,asasoundheardbefore.Hesprangthroughthesleepingcampandinswiftsilencedashedthroughthewoods.Ashedrewclosertothecryhewentmoreslowly,withcautionineverymovement,tillhecametoanopenplaceamongthetrees,andlookingoutsaw,erectonhaunches,withnosepointedtothesky,along,lean,timberwolf.

Hehadmadenonoise,yetitceasedfromitshowlingandtriedtosensehispresence.Buckstalkedintotheopen,half-crouching,bodygatheredcompactlytogether,tailstraightandstiff,feetfallingwithunwontedcare.Everymovementadvertisedcommingledthreateningandovertureoffriendliness.Itwasthemenacingtrucethatmarksthemeetingofwildbeaststhatprey.Butthewolffledatsightofhim.Hefollowed,withwildleapings,inafrenzytoovertake.Heranhimintoablindchannel,inthebedofthecreek,whereatimberjambarredtheway.Thewolfwhirledabout,pivotingonhishindlegsafterthefashionofJoeandofallcorneredhuskydogs,snarlingandbristling,clippinghisteethtogetherinacontinuousandrapidsuccessionofsnaps.

Buckdidnotattack,butcircledhimaboutandhedgedhiminwithfriendlyadvances.Thewolfwassuspiciousandafraid;forBuckmadethreeofhiminweight,whilehisheadbarelyreachedBuck'sshoulder.Watchinghischance,hedartedaway,andthechasewasresumed.Timeandagainhewascornered,andthethingrepeated,thoughhewasinpoorconditionorBuckcouldnotsoeasilyhaveovertakenhim.Hewo