frothing, one leap behind; nor could she gain on him, so great was
his terror, nor could he leave her, so great was her madness. He
plunged through the wooded breast of the island, flew down to the
lower end, crossed a back channel filled with rough ice to another
island, gained a third island, curved back to the main river, and
in desperation started to cross it. And all the time, though he
did not look, he could hear her snarling just one leap behind.
Francois called to him a quarter of a mile away and he doubled
back, still one leap ahead, gasping painfully for air and putting
all his faith in that Francois would save him. The dog-driver
held the axe poised in his hand, and as Buck shot past him the axe
crashed down upon mad Dolly's head.

Buck staggered over against the sled, exhausted, sobbing for
breath, helpless. 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."

"Dat Buck two devils," was Francois's rejoinder. "All de tam I
watch dat Buck I know for sure. Lissen: some dam fine day heem
get mad lak hell an' den heem chew dat Spitz all up an' spit heem
out on de snow. Sure. I know."

From then on it was war between them. Spitz, as lead-dog and
acknowledged master of the team, felt his supremacy threatened by