第 50 节
作者:摄氏0度      更新:2022-11-23 12:12      字数:9321
  demanding of him instant and endless adjustments and   correspondences;
  and compelling him; almost always; to suppress his natural impulses。
  There were butcher…shops where meat hung within reach。 This meat he
  must not touch。 There were cats at the houses the master visited that must
  be let alone。 And there were dogs everywhere that snarled at him and that
  he    must   not   attack。   And    then;   on  the   crowded     sidewalks     there   were
  persons   innumerable   whose   attention   he   attracted。  They   would   stop   and
  look at him; point him out to one another; examine him; talk of him; and;
  worst   of   all;  pat   him。 And   these perilous   contacts   from  all   these   strange
  hands   he   must   endure。 Yet   this   endurance   he   achieved。   Furthermore;   he
  got over being awkward and self…conscious。 In a lofty way he received the
  attentions     of  the   multitudes     of  strange    gods。   With    condescension       he
  accepted   their   condescension。   On   the   other   hand;   there   was   something
  about   him  that   prevented   great   familiarity。 They  patted   him  on   the   head
  and passed on; contented and pleased with their own daring。
  But it was not all easy for White Fang。 Running behind the carriage in
  the outskirts of San Jose; he encountered certain small boys who made a
  practice of flinging stones at him。 Yet he knew that it was not permitted
  him to pursue and drag them down。 Here he was compelled to violate his
  instinct   of   self…preservation;   and   violate   it   he   did;   for   he   was   becoming
  tame and qualifying himself for civilisation。
  Nevertheless; White Fang was not quite satisfied with the arrangement。
  He had no abstract ideas about justice and fair play。 But there is a certain
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  sense   of   equity   that   resides   in   life;   and   it   was   this   sense   in   him   that
  resented   the    unfairness   of    his  being    permitted     no  defence     against   the
  stone…throwers。 He forgot that   in the covenant   entered into between   him
  and the gods they were pledged to care for him and defend him。 But one
  day the master sprang from the carriage; whip in hand; and gave the stone…
  throwers   a   thrashing。   After   that   they   threw   stones   no   more;   and   White
  Fang understood and was satisfied。
  One other experience of similar nature was his。 On the way to town;
  hanging around the saloon at the cross…roads; were three dogs that made a
  practice of rushing out upon him when he went by。 Knowing his deadly
  method of fighting; the master had never ceased impressing upon White
  Fang the law that he must not fight。 As a result; having learned the lesson
  well; White Fang was hard put whenever he passed the cross…roads saloon。
  After the first rush; each time; his snarl kept the three dogs at a distance
  but   they   trailed   along   behind;   yelping   and   bickering   and   insulting   him。
  This endured for some time。 The men at the saloon even urged the dogs on
  to attack White Fang。 One day they openly sicked the dogs on him。 The
  master stopped the carriage。
  〃Go to it;〃 he said to White Fang。
  But   White   Fang   could   not   believe。   He   looked   at   the   master;   and   he
  looked at the dogs。 Then he looked back eagerly and questioningly at the
  master。
  The master nodded his head。 〃Go to them; old fellow。 Eat them up。〃
  White Fang no longer hesitated。 He turned and leaped silently among
  his enemies。 All three faced him。 There was a great snarling and growling;
  a clashing of teeth and a flurry of bodies。 The dust of the road arose in a
  cloud and screened the battle。 But at the end of several minutes two dogs
  were   struggling   in   the   dirt   and   the   third   was   in   full   flight。   He   leaped   a
  ditch;   went   through      a   rail  fence;   and   fled  across   a  field。   White   Fang
  followed;   sliding   over   the   ground   in   wolf   fashion   and   with   wolf   speed;
  swiftly and without noise; and in the centre of the field he dragged down
  and slew the dog。
  With this triple killing his main troubles with dogs ceased。 The word
  went up   and   down the valley;   and   men   saw  to it that their dogs   did   not
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  molest the Fighting Wolf。
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  CHAPTER IV … THE CALL OF KIND
  The months came and went。 There was plenty of food and no work in
  the Southland;  and White Fang lived   fat   and prosperous   and happy。  Not
  alone was he in the geographical Southland; for he was in the Southland of
  life。 Human kindness was like a sun shining upon him; and he flourished
  like a flower planted in good soil。
  And yet he remained somehow different from other dogs。 He knew the
  law   even   better   than   did   the   dogs   that   had   known   no   other   life;   and   he
  observed      the  law   more    punctiliously;     but  still  there  was    about   him   a
  suggestion of lurking ferocity; as though the Wild still lingered in him and
  the wolf in him merely slept。
  He never chummed with other dogs。 Lonely he had lived; so far as his
  kind    was    concerned;      and   lonely    he   would    continue     to  live。   In  his
  puppyhood; under the persecution of Lip…lip and the puppy…pack; and in
  his fighting days with Beauty Smith; he had acquired a fixed aversion for
  dogs。 The natural course of his life had been diverted; and; recoiling from
  his kind; he had clung to the human。
  Besides;     all  Southland     dogs   looked    upon    him    with   suspicion。    He
  aroused   in   them  their   instinctive   fear   of   the Wild;   and   they  greeted   him
  always with snarl and growl and belligerent hatred。 He; on the other hand;
  learned   that   it   was   not   necessary  to   use   his   teeth   upon   them。   His   naked
  fangs and writhing lips were uniformly efficacious; rarely failing to send a
  bellowing on…rushing dog back on its haunches。
  But there was one trial in White Fang's life … Collie。 She never gave
  him   a   moment's   peace。   She   was   not   so   amenable   to   the   law   as   he。   She
  defied   all   efforts   of   the   master   to   make   her   become   friends   with   White
  Fang。 Ever in his ears was sounding her sharp and nervous snarl。 She had
  never   forgiven   him   the   chicken…killing   episode;   and   persistently   held   to
  the belief that his intentions were bad。 She found him guilty before the act;
  and treated him accordingly。 She became a pest to him; like a policeman
  following him around the stable and the hounds; and; if he even so much
  as   glanced   curiously   at   a   pigeon   or   chicken;   bursting   into   an   outcry   of
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  indignation and wrath。 His favourite way of ignoring her was to lie down;
  with     his   head     on   his   fore…paws;      and    pretend     sleep。    This    always
  dumfounded and silenced her。
  With the exception of Collie; all things went well with White Fang。 He
  had    learned    control    and   poise;    and   he   knew    the   law。   He   achieved     a
  staidness; and calmness; and philosophic tolerance。 He no longer lived in a
  hostile environment。 Danger and hurt and death did not lurk everywhere
  about   him。   In   time;   the   unknown;   as   a   thing   of   terror   and   menace   ever
  impending; faded away。 Life was soft and easy。 It flowed along smoothly;
  and neither fear nor foe lurked by the way。
  He    missed     the  snow     without    being    aware    of   it。  〃An   unduly    long
  summer;〃 would have been his thought had he thought about it; as it was;
  he   merely   missed   the   snow   in   a   vague;   subconscious   way。   In   the   same
  fashion; especially in the heat of summer when he suffered from the sun;
  he   experienced   faint   longings   for   the   Northland。   Their   only   effect   upon
  him; however; was to make him uneasy and restless without his knowing
  what was the matter。
  White Fang had never been very demonstrative。 Beyond his snuggling
  and the throwing of a crooning note into his love…growl; he had no way of
  expressing his love。 Yet it was given him to discover a third way。 He had
  always been susceptible to the laughter of the gods。 Laughter had affected
  him with madness; made him frantic with rage。 But he did not have it