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Spitz was not hurt at all , while Buck was covered in blood and breathing hard . And all the time the silent circle waited to finish whichever dog went down . Once Buck fell , and the sixty dogs started forward . But he was up again almost in the air , and the circle sank back and waited . But Buck had a quality that makes for greatness : imagination . He fought by instinct , but he could also fight with his head . He rushed as if he was trying the old shoulder trick , but at the last moment he went down low and caught Spitz’s left front leg in his teeth . There was a crack of breaking bone . Then he did the same again and broke the right front leg . In spite of the pain , Spitz fought madly to stay on his feet . He saw the silent circle of dogs moving in on him . He had seen such circles close in on beaten enemies many times before . But this time he was the one who was beaten . There was no hope for him . Buck had no mercy , because mercy belonged to gentler places . For a moment every animal stood as still as stone . Only Spitz moved , shaking and snarling , as if he could frighten death away . Then Buck jumped in , and this time his shoulder met Spitz’s shoulder fully . Spitz went down , and the dark circle closed over him in the moonlit snow . Buck stood and watched . He was the winner now , the master , the wild beast who had made his kill and found it good . VII . The Mail Train “ What did I say ? ” François said the next morning , when he found Spitz missing and Buck covered in wounds . “ I spoke the truth when I said that Buck was two devils . ” “ That Spitz fought like the devil , ” said Perrault , looking at the deep cuts . “ And that Buck fought like two devils , ” François answered . “ Now we make good time . No more Spitz , no more trouble . ” When François began to harness the team , Buck trotted up to the leader’s place . But François brought Sol - leks to the front , because he thought Sol - leks was the best leader left . Buck jumped on Sol - leks in a fury , drove him back and stood in his place . “ Look at that Buck ! ” François cried , laughing . “ He kills that Spitz , and now he thinks he can take the job ! ” He dragged Buck away and put Sol - leks back . But as soon as he turned away , Buck pushed Sol - leks out again . Now François was angry . He came back with a heavy club . Buck remembered the man in the red sweater and moved away slowly , but he circled just out of reach , snarling with rage . He did not want to escape punishment . He wanted to be the leader . It was his by right , because he had earned it . For nearly an hour the two men chased him around the camp . They threw clubs at him and cursed him and all his family , but he only snarled back and stayed out of reach . He did not run away . He only made it clear that he would come as soon as he got what he wanted . At last Perrault looked at his watch .
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