The Call of the Wild (Excerpt)

by Jack London

"They told us up above that the bottom was dropping out of the trail and that the best thing for us to do was to lay-over," Hal said in response to Thornton‘s warning to take no more chances on the rotten ice. "They told us we couldn‘t make White River, and here we are." This last with a sneering ring of triumph in it.

"And they told you true," John Thornton answered. "The bottom‘s likely to drop out at any moment. Only fools, with the blind luck of fools, could have made it. I tell you straight, I wouldn‘t risk my carcass on that ice for all the gold in Alaska."

"That‘s because you‘re not a fool, I suppose," said Hal. "All the same, we’ll go on to Dawson." He uncoiled his whip. "Get up here, Buck! Hi! Get up there! Mush on!"

Thornton went on whittling. It was idle, he knew, to get between a fool and his folly; while two or three fools, more or less, would not alter the scheme of things.

But the team did not get up at the command. It had long since passed into the stage where blows were required to rouse it. The whip flashed out, here and there, on its merciless errands. John Thornton compressed his lips. Solleks was the first to crawl to his feet. Teek followed. Joe came next, yelping with pain. Pike made painful efforts. Twice he fell over, when half up, and on the third attempt managed to rise. Buck made no effort. He lay quietly where he had fallen. The lash bit into him again and again, but he neither whined nor struggled. Several times Thornton started, as though to speak, but changed his mind. A moisture came into his eyes, and, as the whipping continued, he arose and walked irresolutely up and down.