2 Snow

CHAPTER 2 Snow As the days went by, other dogs came, in crates and at the ends of ropes, some quietly, and some barking and growling as he had come; and, one and all, he watched them accept the rule of the man in the red sweater. Now and again other men—strangers—came into the place where Buck and the other dogs were being held. They talked excitedly to the man in the red sweater and asked him about different dogs, how strong they were, and how much they cost. Then the strangers took one or more of the dogs

away with them. Buck wondered where they went, for they never came back. He felt scared not knowing what happened to the dogs after they left, and he was glad each time when he was not sold. Then one day Buck was chosen by a small man named Perrault. Perrault worked for the Canadian government. His job was to deliver mail in the Arctic North, and he knew the kind of dog he needed for the job and would pay well for it. Perrault was excited when he saw Buck, and he asked the man in the red sweater how much he would cost. "Three hundred, and that's a special price for you, Perrault, you being a good customer and all," said the man in the red sweater. Then with a smile he continued, "I've been saving this one especially for you. His name is Buck and he's a fierce one all right. Just the kind of dog you need to get the job done."

Perrault grinned. Considering that the price of dogs had gone up so much recently because of the gold rush, it was a fair price for such a fine dog. With his long experience, Perrault knew dogs like an expert, and when he looked at Buck he could tell that he was one in a thousand—"Or maybe one in ten thousand," he said quietly. Buck saw Perrault give money to the man in the red sweater. Then Buck and another dog named Curly, a good-natured Newfoundland, were led away by Perrault. Curly and Buck left Seattle on a ship called the Narwhal. They were taken below by Perrault and given to a large man named Francois. These men were new to Buck, and even though he did not like them, he was able to respect them. He learned that Perrault and Francois were fair and calm and that both men knew a great deal about how to handle dogs.

Between decks on the Narwhal, Buck and Curly met two other dogs. One of them was a big, snow-white dog. He seemed friendly, but he had a way of smiling that meant he was really thinking up some mean trick. Once, he even stole from Buck's food. As Buck chased him, Francois got the food away from the dog first, and gave it back to Buck. Theother dog Buck and Curly met wanted to be left alone. Dave was his name, and he just ate and slept, or yawned between times and took an interest in nothing, not even when the Narwhal crossed rough waters and rolled from side to side. When Buck and Curly got excited and scared, Dave only raised his head. He looked like he was annoyed. He glanced at Buck and Curly, yawned, and went to sleep again. Many days and nights passed, and Buck noticed the weather was growing colder each day. One morning, the ship was quiet, and all

the dogs became excited. They all knew a change was coming. Francois put them all on leashes and brought them on deck. At his first step on the cold ground, Buck's feet sank into white mushy stuff, very much like mud. He jumped back with a snort. More of this white stuff was falling through the air. He shook himself, but more of it fell on him. He sniffed it curiously, and then licked some up on his tongue. It burned his tongue a little bit, and in the next instant it was gone. This puzzled him. He tried it again, with the same results. The other dogs and people who watched this laughed at him, and he felt embarrassed. But he did not know why. It was the first time he had ever seen snow. The snow was not all that Buck had to master. Buck's first day on Dyea Beach was a nightmare. There was a new shock and surprise every hour. He felt like he had been taken from a civilized society and thrown

into a primitive world. Here there was no sun-filled, lazy life, like the one he had at Judge Miller's place, with nothing to do but loaf around and be bored. Here there was no peace, no rest—not a moment's safety. All around him was confusion and action, and at every moment there was danger. He had to be alert all the time. These dogs and men were not like the ones he had known in the past. These were dangerous, and the only law they knew was the law of rope and fang.