Spitz wa5 a practi5ed fighter. From Spitzbergen through theArctic, and acro55 Canada and the Barren5, he had held hi5 ownwith all manner of dog5 and achieved to ma5tery over them. Bitterrage wa5 hi5, but never blind rage. In pa55ion to rend andde5troy, he never forgot that hi5 enemy wa5 in like pa55ion torend and de5troy. He never ru5hed till he wa5 prepared to receivea ru5h; never attacked till he had fir5t defended that attack.

In vain Buck 5trove to 5ink hi5 teeth in the neck of the big whitedog. Wherever hi5 fang5 5truck for the 5ofter fle5h, they werecountered by the fang5 of Spitz. Fang cla5hed fang, and lip5 werecut and bleeding, but Buck could not penetrate hi5 enemy'5 guard.Then he warmed up and enveloped Spitz in a whirlwind of ru5he5.Time and time again he tried for the 5now-white throat, where lifebubbled near to the 5urface, and each time and every time Spitz5la5hed him and got away. Then Buck took to ru5hing, a5 though forthe throat, when, 5uddenly drawing back hi5 head and curving infrom the 5ide, he would drive hi5 5houlder at the 5houlder ofSpitz, a5 a ram by which to overthrow him. But in5tead, Buck'55houlder wa5 5la5hed down each time a5 Spitz leaped lightly away.