Chapter	O
I.	O
Into	O
the	O
Primitive	O
“	O
Old	O
longings	O
nomadic	O
leap	O
,	O
Chafing	O
at	O
custom	O
's	O
chain	O
;	O
Again	O
from	O
its	O
brumal	O
sleep	O
Wakens	O
the	O
ferine	O
strain	O
.	O
”	O

Buck	O
did	O
not	O
read	O
the	O
newspapers	O
,	O
or	O
he	O
would	O
have	O
known	O
that	O
trouble	O
was	O
brewing	O
,	O
not	O
alone	O
for	O
himself	O
,	O
but	O
for	O
every	O
tide-water	O
dog	O
,	O
strong	O
of	O
muscle	O
and	O
with	O
warm	O
,	O
long	O
hair	O
,	O
from	O
Puget	O
Sound	O
to	O
San	O
Diego	O
.	O

Because	O
men	O
,	O
groping	O
in	O
the	O
Arctic	O
darkness	O
,	O
had	O
found	O
a	O
yellow	O
metal	O
,	O
and	O
because	O
steamship	O
and	O
transportation	O
companies	O
were	O
booming	O
the	O
find	O
,	O
thousands	O
of	O
men	O
were	O
rushing	O
into	O
the	O
Northland	O
.	O

These	O
men	O
wanted	O
dogs	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
dogs	O
they	O
wanted	O
were	O
heavy	O
dogs	O
,	O
with	O
strong	O
muscles	O
by	O
which	O
to	O
toil	O
,	O
and	O
furry	O
coats	O
to	O
protect	O
them	O
from	O
the	O
frost	O
.	O

Buck	O
lived	O
at	O
a	O
big	O
house	O
in	O
the	O
sun-kissed	O
Santa	O
Clara	O
Valley	O
.	O

Judge	O
Miller	O
's	O
place	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
called	O
.	O

It	O
stood	O
back	O
from	O
the	O
road	O
,	O
half	O
hidden	O
among	O
the	O
trees	O
,	O
through	O
which	O
glimpses	O
could	O
be	O
caught	O
of	O
the	O
wide	O
cool	O
veranda	O
that	O
ran	O
around	O
its	O
four	O
sides	O
.	O

The	O
house	O
was	O
approached	O
by	O
gravelled	O
driveways	O
which	O
wound	O
about	O
through	O
wide-spreading	O
lawns	O
and	O
under	O
the	O
interlacing	O
boughs	O
of	O
tall	O
poplars	O
.	O

At	O
the	O
rear	O
things	O
were	O
on	O
even	O
a	O
more	O
spacious	O
scale	O
than	O
at	O
the	O
front	O
.	O

There	O
were	O
great	O
stables	O
,	O
where	O
a	O
dozen	O
grooms	O
and	O
boys	O
held	O
forth	O
,	O
rows	O
of	O
vine-clad	O
servants	O
'	O
cottages	O
,	O
an	O
endless	O
and	O
orderly	O
array	O
of	O
outhouses	O
,	O
long	O
grape	O
arbors	O
,	O
green	O
pastures	O
,	O
orchards	O
,	O
and	O
berry	O
patches	O
.	O

Then	O
there	O
was	O
the	O
pumping	O
plant	O
for	O
the	O
artesian	O
well	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
big	O
cement	O
tank	O
where	O
Judge	O
Miller	O
's	O
boys	O
took	O
their	O
morning	O
plunge	O
and	O
kept	O
cool	O
in	O
the	O
hot	O
afternoon	O
.	O

And	O
over	O
this	O
great	O
demesne	O
Buck	O
ruled	O
.	O

Here	O
he	O
was	O
born	EVENT
,	O
and	O
here	O
he	O
had	O
lived	O
the	O
four	O
years	O
of	O
his	O
life	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
true	O
,	O
there	O
were	O
other	O
dogs	O
,	O
There	O
could	O
not	O
but	O
be	O
other	O
dogs	O
on	O
so	O
vast	O
a	O
place	O
,	O
but	O
they	O
did	O
not	O
count	O
.	O

They	O
came	O
and	O
went	O
,	O
resided	O
in	O
the	O
populous	O
kennels	O
,	O
or	O
lived	O
obscurely	O
in	O
the	O
recesses	O
of	O
the	O
house	O
after	O
the	O
fashion	O
of	O
Toots	O
,	O
the	O
Japanese	O
pug	O
,	O
or	O
Ysabel	O
,	O
the	O
Mexican	O
hairless	O
,	O
--	O
strange	O
creatures	O
that	O
rarely	O
put	O
nose	O
out	O
of	O
doors	O
or	O
set	O
foot	O
to	O
ground	O
.	O

On	O
the	O
other	O
hand	O
,	O
there	O
were	O
the	O
fox	O
terriers	O
,	O
a	O
score	O
of	O
them	O
at	O
least	O
,	O
who	O
yelped	O
fearful	O
promises	O
at	O
Toots	O
and	O
Ysabel	O
looking	O
out	O
of	O
the	O
windows	O
at	O
them	O
and	O
protected	O
by	O
a	O
legion	O
of	O
housemaids	O
armed	O
with	O
brooms	O
and	O
mops	O
.	O

But	O
Buck	O
was	O
neither	O
house-dog	O
nor	O
kennel-dog	O
.	O

The	O
whole	O
realm	O
was	O
his	O
.	O

He	O
plunged	O
into	O
the	O
swimming	O
tank	O
or	O
went	O
hunting	O
with	O
the	O
Judge	O
's	O
sons	O
;	O
he	O
escorted	O
Mollie	O
and	O
Alice	O
,	O
the	O
Judge	O
's	O
daughters	O
,	O
on	O
long	O
twilight	O
or	O
early	O
morning	O
rambles	O
;	O
on	O
wintry	O
nights	O
he	O
lay	O
at	O
the	O
Judge	O
's	O
feet	O
before	O
the	O
roaring	O
library	O
fire	O
;	O
he	O
carried	O
the	O
Judge	O
's	O
grandsons	O
on	O
his	O
back	O
,	O
or	O
rolled	O
them	O
in	O
the	O
grass	O
,	O
and	O
guarded	O
their	O
footsteps	O
through	O
wild	O
adventures	O
down	O
to	O
the	O
fountain	O
in	O
the	O
stable	O
yard	O
,	O
and	O
even	O
beyond	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
paddocks	O
were	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
berry	O
patches	O
.	O

Among	O
the	O
terriers	O
he	O
stalked	O
imperiously	O
,	O
and	O
Toots	O
and	O
Ysabel	O
he	O
utterly	O
ignored	O
,	O
for	O
he	O
was	O
king	O
,	O
--	O
king	O
over	O
all	O
creeping	O
,	O
crawling	O
,	O
flying	O
things	O
of	O
Judge	O
Miller	O
's	O
place	O
,	O
humans	O
included	O
.	O

His	O
father	O
,	O
Elmo	O
,	O
a	O
huge	O
St.	O
Bernard	O
,	O
had	O
been	O
the	O
Judge	O
's	O
inseparable	O
companion	O
,	O
and	O
Buck	O
bid	O
fair	O
to	O
follow	O
in	O
the	O
way	O
of	O
his	O
father	O
.	O

He	O
was	O
not	O
so	O
large	O
,	O
--	O
he	O
weighed	O
only	O
one	O
hundred	O
and	O
forty	O
pounds	O
,	O
--	O
for	O
his	O
mother	O
,	O
Shep	O
,	O
had	O
been	O
a	O
Scotch	O
shepherd	O
dog	O
.	O

Nevertheless	O
,	O
one	O
hundred	O
and	O
forty	O
pounds	O
,	O
to	O
which	O
was	O
added	O
the	O
dignity	O
that	O
comes	O
of	O
good	O
living	O
and	O
universal	O
respect	O
,	O
enabled	O
him	O
to	O
carry	O
himself	O
in	O
right	O
royal	O
fashion	O
.	O

During	O
the	O
four	O
years	O
since	O
his	O
puppyhood	O
he	O
had	O
lived	O
the	O
life	O
of	O
a	O
sated	O
aristocrat	O
;	O
he	O
had	O
a	O
fine	O
pride	O
in	O
himself	O
,	O
was	O
even	O
a	O
trifle	O
egotistical	O
,	O
as	O
country	O
gentlemen	O
sometimes	O
become	O
because	O
of	O
their	O
insular	O
situation	O
.	O

But	O
he	O
had	O
saved	O
himself	O
by	O
not	O
becoming	O
a	O
mere	O
pampered	O
house-dog	O
.	O

Hunting	O
and	O
kindred	O
outdoor	O
delights	O
had	O
kept	O
down	O
the	O
fat	O
and	O
hardened	O
his	O
muscles	O
;	O
and	O
to	O
him	O
,	O
as	O
to	O
the	O
cold-tubbing	O
races	O
,	O
the	O
love	O
of	O
water	O
had	O
been	O
a	O
tonic	O
and	O
a	O
health	O
preserver	O
.	O

And	O
this	O
was	O
the	O
manner	O
of	O
dog	O
Buck	O
was	O
in	O
the	O
fall	O
of	O
1897	O
,	O
when	O
the	O
Klondike	O
strike	O
dragged	O
men	O
from	O
all	O
the	O
world	O
into	O
the	O
frozen	O
North	O
.	O

But	O
Buck	O
did	O
not	O
read	O
the	O
newspapers	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
did	O
not	O
know	O
that	O
Manuel	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
gardener	O
's	O
helpers	O
,	O
was	O
an	O
undesirable	O
acquaintance	O
.	O

Manuel	O
had	O
one	O
besetting	O
sin	O
.	O

He	O
loved	O
to	O
play	O
Chinese	O
lottery	O
.	O

Also	O
,	O
in	O
his	O
gambling	O
,	O
he	O
had	O
one	O
besetting	O
weakness	O
--	O
faith	O
in	O
a	O
system	O
;	O
and	O
this	O
made	O
his	O
damnation	O
certain	O
.	O

For	O
to	O
play	O
a	O
system	O
requires	O
money	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
wages	O
of	O
a	O
gardener	O
's	O
helper	O
do	O
not	O
lap	O
over	O
the	O
needs	O
of	O
a	O
wife	O
and	O
numerous	O
progeny	O
.	O

The	O
Judge	O
was	O
at	O
a	O
meeting	O
of	O
the	O
Raisin	O
Growers	O
'	O
Association	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
boys	O
were	O
busy	O
organizing	EVENT
an	O
athletic	O
club	O
,	O
on	O
the	O
memorable	O
night	O
of	O
Manuel	O
's	O
treachery	O
.	O

No	O
one	O
saw	O
him	O
and	O
Buck	O
go	EVENT
off	O
through	O
the	O
orchard	O
on	O
what	O
Buck	O
imagined	EVENT
was	O
merely	O
a	O
stroll	O
.	O

And	O
with	O
the	O
exception	O
of	O
a	O
solitary	O
man	O
,	O
no	O
one	O
saw	O
them	O
arrive	EVENT
at	O
the	O
little	O
flag	O
station	O
known	O
as	O
College	O
Park	O
.	O

This	O
man	O
talked	EVENT
with	O
Manuel	O
,	O
and	O
money	O
chinked	EVENT
between	O
them	O
.	O

“	O
You	O
might	O
wrap	O
up	O
the	O
goods	O
before	O
you	O
deliver	O
'm	O
,	O
”	O
the	O
stranger	O
said	EVENT
gruffly	O
,	O
and	O
Manuel	O
doubled	EVENT
a	O
piece	O
of	O
stout	O
rope	O
around	O
Buck	O
's	O
neck	O
under	O
the	O
collar	O
.	O

“	O
Twist	O
it	O
,	O
an	O
'	O
you	O
'll	O
choke	O
'm	O
plentee	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
Manuel	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
stranger	O
grunted	EVENT
a	O
ready	O
affirmative	EVENT
.	O

Buck	O
had	O
accepted	EVENT
the	O
rope	O
with	O
quiet	O
dignity	O
.	O

To	O
be	O
sure	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
an	O
unwonted	O
performance	EVENT
:	O
but	O
he	O
had	O
learned	O
to	O
trust	O
in	O
men	O
he	O
knew	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
give	O
them	O
credit	O
for	O
a	O
wisdom	O
that	O
outreached	O
his	O
own	O
.	O

But	O
when	O
the	O
ends	O
of	O
the	O
rope	O
were	O
placed	EVENT
in	O
the	O
stranger	O
's	O
hands	O
,	O
he	O
growled	EVENT
menacingly	O
.	O

He	O
had	O
merely	O
intimated	EVENT
his	O
displeasure	O
,	O
in	O
his	O
pride	O
believing	O
that	O
to	O
intimate	O
was	O
to	O
command	O
.	O

But	O
to	O
his	O
surprise	EVENT
the	O
rope	O
tightened	EVENT
around	O
his	O
neck	O
,	O
shutting	EVENT
off	O
his	O
breath	O
.	O

In	O
quick	O
rage	EVENT
he	O
sprang	EVENT
at	O
the	O
man	O
,	O
who	O
met	EVENT
him	O
halfway	O
,	O
grappled	EVENT
him	O
close	O
by	O
the	O
throat	O
,	O
and	O
with	O
a	O
deft	O
twist	EVENT
threw	EVENT
him	O
over	O
on	O
his	O
back	O
.	O

Then	O
the	O
rope	O
tightened	EVENT
mercilessly	O
,	O
while	O
Buck	O
struggled	EVENT
in	O
a	O
fury	EVENT
,	O
his	O
tongue	O
lolling	EVENT
out	O
of	O
his	O
mouth	O
and	O
his	O
great	O
chest	O
panting	EVENT
futilely	O
.	O

Never	O
in	O
all	O
his	O
life	O
had	O
he	O
been	O
so	O
vilely	O
treated	O
,	O
and	O
never	O
in	O
all	O
his	O
life	O
had	O
he	O
been	O
so	O
angry	O
.	O

But	O
his	O
strength	O
ebbed	EVENT
,	O
his	O
eyes	O
glazed	EVENT
,	O
and	O
he	O
knew	O
nothing	O
when	O
the	O
train	O
was	O
flagged	EVENT
and	O
the	O
two	O
men	O
threw	EVENT
him	O
into	O
the	O
baggage	O
car	O
.	O

The	O
next	O
he	O
knew	O
,	O
he	O
was	O
dimly	O
aware	EVENT
that	O
his	O
tongue	O
was	O
hurting	O
and	O
that	O
he	O
was	O
being	O
jolted	EVENT
along	O
in	O
some	O
kind	O
of	O
a	O
conveyance	O
.	O

The	O
hoarse	O
shriek	EVENT
of	O
a	O
locomotive	O
whistling	EVENT
a	O
crossing	O
told	EVENT
him	O
where	O
he	O
was	O
.	O

He	O
had	O
travelled	O
too	O
often	O
with	O
the	O
Judge	O
not	O
to	O
know	O
the	O
sensation	O
of	O
riding	O
in	O
a	O
baggage	O
car	O
.	O

He	O
opened	EVENT
his	O
eyes	O
,	O
and	O
into	O
them	O
came	O
the	O
unbridled	O
anger	EVENT
of	O
a	O
kidnapped	O
king	O
.	O

The	O
man	O
sprang	EVENT
for	O
his	O
throat	O
,	O
but	O
Buck	O
was	O
too	O
quick	EVENT
for	O
him	O
.	O

His	O
jaws	O
closed	EVENT
on	O
the	O
hand	O
,	O
nor	O
did	O
they	O
relax	O
till	O
his	O
senses	O
were	O
choked	EVENT
out	O
of	O
him	O
once	O
more	O
.	O

“	O
Yep	O
,	O
has	O
fits	O
,	O
”	O
the	O
man	O
said	EVENT
,	O
hiding	EVENT
his	O
mangled	O
hand	O
from	O
the	O
baggageman	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
been	O
attracted	EVENT
by	O
the	O
sounds	EVENT
of	O
struggle	EVENT
.	O

“	O
I	O
'm	O
takin	O
'	O
'm	O
up	O
for	O
the	O
boss	O
to	O
'	O
Frisco	O
.	O

A	O
crack	O
dog-doctor	O
there	O
thinks	O
that	O
he	O
can	O
cure	O
'm	O
.	O
”	O

Concerning	O
that	O
night	O
's	O
ride	O
,	O
the	O
man	O
spoke	EVENT
most	O
eloquently	O
for	O
himself	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
little	O
shed	O
back	O
of	O
a	O
saloon	O
on	O
the	O
San	O
Francisco	O
water	O
front	O
.	O

“	O
All	O
I	O
get	O
is	O
fifty	O
for	O
it	O
,	O
”	O
he	O
grumbled	EVENT
;	O
“	O
an	O
'	O
I	O
would	O
n't	O
do	O
it	O
over	O
for	O
a	O
thousand	O
,	O
cold	O
cash	O
.	O
”	O

His	O
hand	O
was	O
wrapped	O
in	O
a	O
bloody	O
handkerchief	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
right	O
trouser	O
leg	O
was	O
ripped	O
from	O
knee	O
to	O
ankle	O
.	O

“	O
How	O
much	O
did	O
the	O
other	O
mug	O
get	O
?	O
”	O

the	O
saloon-keeper	O
demanded	EVENT
.	O

“	O
A	O
hundred	O
,	O
”	O
was	O
the	O
reply	EVENT
.	O

“	O
Would	O
n't	O
take	O
a	O
sou	O
less	O
,	O
so	O
help	O
me	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
That	O
makes	O
a	O
hundred	O
and	O
fifty	O
,	O
”	O
the	O
saloon-keeper	O
calculated	EVENT
;	O
“	O
and	O
he	O
's	O
worth	O
it	O
,	O
or	O
I	O
'm	O
a	O
squarehead	O
.	O
”	O

The	O
kidnapper	O
undid	EVENT
the	O
bloody	O
wrappings	O
and	O
looked	EVENT
at	O
his	O
lacerated	O
hand	O
.	O

“	O
If	O
I	O
do	O
n't	O
get	O
the	O
hydrophoby	O
--	O
”	O
“	O
It	O
'll	O
be	O
because	O
you	O
was	O
born	O
to	O
hang	O
,	O
”	O
laughed	EVENT
the	O
saloon-keeper	O
.	O

“	O
Here	O
,	O
lend	O
me	O
a	O
hand	O
before	O
you	O
pull	O
your	O
freight	O
,	O
”	O
he	O
added	EVENT
.	O

Dazed	O
,	O
suffering	O
intolerable	O
pain	O
from	O
throat	O
and	O
tongue	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
life	O
half	O
throttled	O
out	O
of	O
him	O
,	O
Buck	O
attempted	EVENT
to	O
face	O
his	O
tormentors	O
.	O

But	O
he	O
was	O
thrown	EVENT
down	O
and	O
choked	EVENT
repeatedly	O
,	O
till	O
they	O
succeeded	O
in	O
filing	EVENT
the	O
heavy	O
brass	O
collar	O
from	O
off	O
his	O
neck	O
.	O

Then	O
the	O
rope	O
was	O
removed	EVENT
,	O
and	O
he	O
was	O
flung	EVENT
into	O
a	O
cagelike	O
crate	O
.	O

There	O
he	O
lay	O
for	O
the	O
remainder	O
of	O
the	O
weary	O
night	O
,	O
nursing	EVENT
his	O
wrath	O
and	O
wounded	O
pride	O
.	O

He	O
could	O
not	O
understand	O
what	O
it	O
all	O
meant	O
.	O

What	O
did	O
they	O
want	O
with	O
him	O
,	O
these	O
strange	O
men	O
?	O

Why	O
were	O
they	O
keeping	EVENT
him	O
pent	O
up	O
in	O
this	O
narrow	O
crate	O
?	O

He	O
did	O
not	O
know	O
why	O
,	O
but	O
he	O
felt	O
oppressed	O
by	O
the	O
vague	O
sense	O
of	O
impending	O
calamity	O
.	O

Several	O
times	O
during	O
the	O
night	O
he	O
sprang	EVENT
to	O
his	O
feet	O
when	O
the	O
shed	O
door	O
rattled	EVENT
open	O
,	O
expecting	EVENT
to	O
see	O
the	O
Judge	O
,	O
or	O
the	O
boys	O
at	O
least	O
.	O

But	O
each	O
time	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
bulging	O
face	O
of	O
the	O
saloon-keeper	O
that	O
peered	EVENT
in	O
at	O
him	O
by	O
the	O
sickly	O
light	O
of	O
a	O
tallow	O
candle	O
.	O

And	O
each	O
time	O
the	O
joyful	O
bark	O
that	O
trembled	EVENT
in	O
Buck	O
's	O
throat	O
was	O
twisted	EVENT
into	O
a	O
savage	O
growl	EVENT
.	O

But	O
the	O
saloon-keeper	O
let	O
him	O
alone	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
the	O
morning	O
four	O
men	O
entered	EVENT
and	O
picked	EVENT
up	O
the	O
crate	O
.	O

More	O
tormentors	O
,	O
Buck	O
decided	EVENT
,	O
for	O
they	O
were	O
evil-looking	O
creatures	O
,	O
ragged	O
and	O
unkempt	O
;	O
and	O
he	O
stormed	EVENT
and	O
raged	EVENT
at	O
them	O
through	O
the	O
bars	O
.	O

They	O
only	O
laughed	EVENT
and	O
poked	EVENT
sticks	O
at	O
him	O
,	O
which	O
he	O
promptly	O
assailed	EVENT
with	O
his	O
teeth	O
till	O
he	O
realized	EVENT
that	O
that	O
was	O
what	O
they	O
wanted	O
.	O

Whereupon	O
he	O
lay	EVENT
down	O
sullenly	O
and	O
allowed	EVENT
the	O
crate	O
to	O
be	O
lifted	EVENT
into	O
a	O
wagon	O
.	O

Then	O
he	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
crate	O
in	O
which	O
he	O
was	O
imprisoned	O
,	O
began	O
a	O
passage	O
through	O
many	O
hands	O
.	O

Clerks	O
in	O
the	O
express	O
office	O
took	EVENT
charge	O
of	O
him	O
;	O
he	O
was	O
carted	EVENT
about	O
in	O
another	O
wagon	O
;	O
a	O
truck	O
carried	EVENT
him	O
,	O
with	O
an	O
assortment	O
of	O
boxes	O
and	O
parcels	O
,	O
upon	O
a	O
ferry	O
steamer	O
;	O
he	O
was	O
trucked	EVENT
off	O
the	O
steamer	O
into	O
a	O
great	O
railway	O
depot	O
,	O
and	O
finally	O
he	O
was	O
deposited	EVENT
in	O
an	O
express	O
car	O
.	O