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They called Zébédé, Furst, Klipfel, Bertha; we answered like the others. Then the captain gave the word, "March!" and we went, two abreast, toward the French gate. At the corner of Spitz's bakery, an old woman cried, in a choking voice, from a window: "Kasper! Kasper!" It was Zébédé's grandmother. His lips trembled. He waved his hand without replying, and passed on with downcast face.
As Buck drew himself together to spring after them, out of the tail of his eye he saw Spitz rush upon him with the evident intention of overthrowing him. Once off his feet and under that mass of huskies, there was no hope for him. But he braced himself to the shock of Spitz's charge, then joined the flight out on the lake.
This was Spitz's opportunity. He sprang upon Buck, and twice his teeth sank into his unresisting foe and ripped and tore the flesh to the bone. Then Francois's lash descended, and Buck had the satisfaction of watching Spitz receive the worst whipping as yet administered to any of the teams. "One devil, dat Spitz," remarked Perrault. "Some dam day heem keel dat Buck."
And even Billee, the good-natured, was less good-natured, and whined not half so placatingly as in former days. Buck never came near Spitz without snarling and bristling menacingly. In fact, his conduct approached that of a bully, and he was given to swaggering up and down before Spitz's very nose. The breaking down of discipline likewise affected the dogs in their relations with one another.
"I have come to see the coronation, your Majesty," I said. "And you shall," said the King heartily, "and shall go with us! The show can't begin without us eh, Spitz?" he added playfully, poking the veteran in the ribs, "whatever Michael may do!" Then he linked his arms in Spitz's and mine. "Let's go to the hut and have some supper and fizz," he said gayly. We went to the hut. We had supper.
But Buck possessed a quality that made for greatness imagination. He fought by instinct, but he could fight by head as well. He rushed, as though attempting the old shoulder trick, but at the last instant swept low to the snow and in. His teeth closed on Spitz's left fore leg. There was a crunch of breaking bone, and the white dog faced him on three legs.
I had been the means of Spitz's death very well, I could hide myself in some obscure corner of the amphitheater, and gaze at her mournfully from the distance. While she gazed at the ring, I would gaze at her. So I went to the circus, along with a good many other people.
The only wonder is that they were not both lost. Their track was marked as long as that snow lasted by mighty holes. It was at about a quarter-past seven that all the dogs barked, a fumbling was heard at the door, and a muffled voice, "Let me in." Then in stumbled a heap of snow, panting, and amid Spitz's frantic barks, we saw it was Harold, bent nearly double by the figure tied to him.
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