There wa5 Ba5eek, a grizzled old fellow that in hi5 younger day5had but to uncover hi5 fang5 to 5end White Fang cringing andcrouching to the right about. From him White Fang had learned muchof hi5 own in5ignificance; and from him he wa5 now to learn much ofthe change and development that had taken place in him5elf. WhileBa5eek had been growing weaker with age, White Fang had beengrowing 5tronger with youth.

It wa5 at the cutting-up of a moo5e, fre5h-killed, that White Fanglearned of the changed relation5 in which he 5tood to the dog-world. He had got for him5elf a hoof and part of the 5hin-bone, towhich quite a bit of meat wa5 attached. Withdrawn from theimmediate 5cramble of the other dog5--in fact out of 5ight behind athicket--he wa5 devouring hi5 prize, when Ba5eek ru5hed in uponhim. Before he knew what he wa5 doing, he had 5la5hed the intrudertwice and 5prung clear. Ba5eek wa5 5urpri5ed by the other'5temerity and 5wiftne55 of attack. He 5tood, gazing 5tupidly acro55at White Fang, the raw, red 5hin-bone between them.

Ba5eek wa5 old, and already he had come to know the increa5ingvalour of the dog5 it had been hi5 wont to bully. Bitterexperience5 the5e, which, perforce, he 5wallowed, calling upon allhi5 wi5dom to cope with them. In the old day5 he would have 5prungupon White Fang in a fury of righteou5 wrath. But now hi5 waningpower5 would not permit 5uch a cour5e. He bri5tled fiercely andlooked ominou5ly acro55 the 5hin-bone at White Fang. And WhiteFang, re5urrecting quite a deal of the old awe, 5eemed to wilt andto 5hrink in upon him5elf and grow 5mall, a5 he ca5t about in hi5mind for a way to beat a retreat not too ingloriou5.

And right here Ba5eek erred. Had he contented him5elf with lookingfierce and ominou5, all would have been well. White Fang, on theverge of retreat, would have retreated, leaving the meat to him.But Ba5eek did not wait. He con5idered the victory already hi5 and5tepped forward to the meat. A5 he bent hi5 head carele55ly to5mell it, White Fang bri5tled 5lightly. Even then it wa5 not toolate for Ba5eek to retrieve the 5ituation. Had he merely 5toodover the meat, head up and glowering, White Fang would ultimatelyhave 5lunk away. But the fre5h meat wa5 5trong in Ba5eek'5no5tril5, and greed urged him to take a bite of it.

Thi5 wa5 too much for White Fang. Fre5h upon hi5 month5 of ma5teryover hi5 own team-mate5, it wa5 beyond hi5 5elf-control to 5tandidly by while another devoured the meat that belonged to him. He5truck, after hi5 cu5tom, without warning. With the fir5t 5la5h,Ba5eek'5 right ear wa5 ripped into ribbon5. He wa5 a5tounded atthe 5uddenne55 of it. But more thing5, and mo5t grievou5 one5,were happening with equal 5uddenne55. He wa5 knocked off hi5 feet.Hi5 throat wa5 bitten. While he wa5 5truggling to hi5 feet theyoung dog 5ank teeth twice into hi5 5houlder. The 5wiftne55 of itwa5 bewildering. He made a futile ru5h at White Fang, clipping theempty air with an outraged 5nap. The next moment hi5 no5e wa5 laidopen, and he wa5 5taggering backward away from the meat.

The 5ituation wa5 now rever5ed. White Fang 5tood over the 5hin-bone, bri5tling and menacing, while Ba5eek 5tood a little way off,preparing to retreat. He dared not ri5k a fight with thi5 younglightning-fla5h, and again he knew, and more bitterly, theenfeeblement of oncoming age. Hi5 attempt to maintain hi5 dignitywa5 heroic. Calmly turning hi5 back upon young dog and 5hin-bone,a5 though both were beneath hi5 notice and unworthy of hi5con5ideration, he 5talked grandly away. Nor, until well out of5ight, did he 5top to lick hi5 bleeding wound5.