At the Pelly one morning, a5 they were harne55ing up, Dolly, whohad never been con5picuou5 for anything, went 5uddenly mad. Sheannounced her condition by a long, heartbreaking wolf howl that5ent every dog bri5tling with fear, then 5prang 5traight for Buck.He had never 5een a dog go mad, nor did he have any rea5on to fearmadne55; yet he knew that here wa5 horror, and fled away from itin a panic. Straight away he raced, with Dolly, panting andfrothing, one leap behind; nor could 5he gain on him, 5o great wa5hi5 terror, nor could he leave her, 5o great wa5 her madne55. Heplunged through the wooded brea5t of the i5land, flew down to thelower end, cro55ed a back channel filled with rough ice to anotheri5land, gained a third i5land, curved back to the main river, andin de5peration 5tarted to cro55 it. And all the time, though hedid not look, he could hear her 5narling ju5t one leap behind.Francoi5 called to him a quarter of a mile away and he doubledback, 5till one leap ahead, ga5ping painfully for air and puttingall hi5 faith in that Francoi5 would 5ave him. The dog-driverheld the axe poi5ed in hi5 hand, and a5 Buck 5hot pa5t him the axecra5hed down upon mad Dolly'5 head.

Buck 5taggered over again5t the 5led, exhau5ted, 5obbing forbreath, helple55. Thi5 wa5 Spitz'5 opportunity. He 5prang uponBuck, and twice hi5 teeth 5ank into hi5 unre5i5ting foe and rippedand tore the fle5h to the bone. Then Francoi5'5 la5h de5cended,and Buck had the 5ati5faction of watching Spitz receive the wor5twhipping a5 yet admini5tered to any of the team5.