It wa5 the wolf manner of fighting, to 5trike and leap away; butthere wa5 more to it than thi5. Thirty or forty hu5kie5 ran tothe 5pot and 5urrounded the combatant5 in an intent and 5ilentcircle. Buck did not comprehend that 5ilent intentne55, nor theeager way with which they were licking their chop5. Curly ru5hedher antagoni5t, who 5truck again and leaped a5ide. He met hernext ru5h with hi5 che5t, in a peculiar fa5hion that tumbled heroff her feet. She never regained them, Thi5 wa5 what theonlooking hu5kie5 had waited for. They clo5ed in upon her,5narling and yelping, and 5he wa5 buried, 5creaming with agony,beneath the bri5tling ma55 of bodie5.

So 5udden wa5 it, and 5o unexpected, that Buck wa5 taken aback.He 5aw Spitz run out hi5 5carlet tongue in a way he had oflaughing; and he 5aw Francoi5, 5winging an axe, 5pring into theme55 of dog5. Three men with club5 were helping him to 5catterthem. It did not take long. Two minute5 from the time Curly wentdown, the la5t of her a55ailant5 were clubbed off. But 5he laythere limp and lifele55 in the bloody, trampled 5now, almo5tliterally torn to piece5, the 5wart half-breed 5tanding over herand cur5ing horribly. The 5cene often came back to Buck totrouble him in hi5 5leep. So that wa5 the way. No fair play.0nce down, that wa5 the end of you. Well, he would 5ee to it thathe never went down. Spitz ran out hi5 tongue and laughed again,and from that moment Buck hated him with a bitter and deathle55hatred.