The call of the wild preview
- 2. Buck did not read the newspapers, or he would have known that trouble was brewing…trouble for every strong dog in the western coast of America… GOLD FOUND IN THE KLONDIKE STEAMER ARRIVES IN SEATTLE STACKS OF THE PRECIOUS METAL ABOARD On Sunday morning, July 17th, the steamer Portland arrived in Seattle, and was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of more than 5,000 people. Sailing from Saint Michael, Alaska, the ship carried over two tons of gold found on the banks of the Klondike River. Word of the ship’s arrival, and its cargo, estimated to be worth over $700,000, had spread prior to its arrival, thanks to the city’s newspapers which rushed to have special editions on the streets before dawn. Local papers reported that by 9:30 a.m. Seattle’s downtown had become so crowded that cars were forced to stop for fear of injuring people. …because men, groping in the Arctic darkness, had found gold, and because steamship and transportation companies were doing a roaring trade. Thousands of men were rushing into Canada. These men wanted dogs, and the dogs they wanted were heavy dogs with strong muscles and furry coats that could help them in the difficult terrain and the frost. CAMPFIRETM www.campfire.co.in
- 3. Buck lived in a big house in the sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley. It was called Judge Miller‛s place. Buck ruled over this great estate. Here he was born, and had lived four years of his life. It was true, there were other dogs, but they did not count. They came and went, resided in the crowded kennels, or lived unnoticed in the nooks and corners of the house. He plunged into the swimming tank or went hunting with the Judge‛s sons. He carried the Judge‛s grandsons on his back. On wintry nights, he lay at the Judge‛s feet before the roaring library fire. Buck was neither housedog nor kennel dog. The whole area was his. He even escorted the Judge‛s daughters on long twilight rambles. He was king – king over all creeping, crawling, flying things at Judge Miller‛s place, humans included. CAMPFIRETM www.campfire.co.in
- 4. Such was the life of Buck in the fall of 1897. Buck did not know that Manuel, one of the gardener‛s helpers, was an undesirable acquaintance. Manuel had one sin. He loved to play Chinese lottery. To play, he required money. And his wages were not even enough to support his family. The Judge was at a meeting of the Raisin Growers Association… …and the boys were busy on the memorable night of Manuel‛s treachery. No one saw him and Buck go off through the orchard. No one saw them arrive at the little rail flag station except for one man. This man talked with Manuel, and money passed between them. Okay. You might wrap up the goods before you deliver him. Any trouble from him – just twist this rope for complete obedience. Buck accepted the rope with quiet dignity. CAMPFIRETM www.campfire.co.in
- 5. Buck had learnt to trust the men he knew. But when the ends of the rope were placed in the stranger‛s hands… To his surprise the rope tightened around his neck mercilessly. Never in all his life had Buck been so wickedly treated, and never had he been so angry. His strength sagged, and his eyes glazed. He did not know when the train going to San Francisco was flagged, and they threw him into the baggage car. When Buck woke up, with the unbridled anger of a kidnapped king, he jumped at the man on the train. Ouch! But, Buck‛s senses were choked out of him once more. Buck was next taken to the San Francisco waterfront. How much did the other guy get? All I get is fifty for the job. A hundred. He‛s worth it, or I‛m a fool. CAMPFIRETM www.campfire.co.in
- 6. The next morning, four men came and picked up the crate in which Buck was imprisoned, and thus began a passage through many hands. For two days and nights he neither ate nor drank. His eyes turned bloodshot, and he transformed into a raging fiend. He was glad that the rope was off his neck. That had given them an unfair advantage. But now that it was off, he would show them. You aren‛t going to take him out now? Sure, and I will thrash him. Buck rushed at the splintering wood. Wherever the hatchet fell on the outside, he was there on the inside, snarling and growling furiously, anxious to get out. CAMPFIRETM Now, you red-eyed devil! I‛ll take the fight out of you! www.campfire.co.in
- 7. Buck is a four-year-old shepherd dog, living a pampered life of an estate dog. His life changes when he is kidnapped and sold into service during the Klondike gold rush, where he is made to haul heavy sleds through the deep snow fields. In the new environment, he soon discovers his dominant primordial instinct. He learns not only to survive, but also flourishes in it. Jack London’s The Call of the Wild is a masterpiece in both its style, which set a standard for generations to come, and its genre, raising adventure writing to the level of classic literature. While being exciting and entertaining, Buck’s story is also thought provoking that makes it an enduring story for all ages. www.campfire.co.in