Yet his time came, in the end, in the form of a little weakened man who spat (厉声说出) broken English and many strange and uncouth (粗鲁的) exclamations (呼喊) which Buck could not understand.
"Sacredam!" he cried, when his eyes lit upon Buck.
"Dat (相当于 that) one dam bully dog! Eh? How much?"
"Three hundred, and a present at that," was the prompt reply of the man in the red sweater. "And seem' it's government money, you ain't got no kick coming, eh, Perrault?”{1}
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Perrault grinned. Considering that the price of dogs had been boomed skyward by the unwonted (不寻常的) demand, it was not an unfair sum (金额) for so fine an animal.
The Canadian Government would be no loser, nor would its dispatches (急件) travel the slower.{2} Perrault knew dogs, and when he looked at Buck he knew he was one in a thousand-- "One in ten t'ousand," he commented (评价) mentally.
Buck saw money pass between them, and was not surprised when Curly, a good-natured (温顺的) Newfoundland (纽芬兰(岛)(加拿大一个省)，指Curly来自纽芬兰), and he were led away by the little weakened man.
That was the last he saw of the man in the red sweater, and as Curly and he looked at receding (逐渐远离) Seattle from the deck of the Narwhal (纳华尔号，船名), it was the last he saw of the warm Southland.
Curly and he were taken below by Perrault and turned over to a black-faced giant called Francois. Perrault was a French-Canadian, and swarthy (黝黑的); but François was a French-Canadian half-breed (混血儿), and twice as swarthy.{3}
They were a new kind of men to Buck (of which he was destined to see many more), and while he developed no affection for them, he none the less grew honestly to respect them.
He speedily learned that Perrault and Francois were fair men, calm and impartial (公正的) in administering justice, and too wise in the way of dogs to be fooled by dogs.
In the 'tween-decks (相当于 between-decks，甲板间) of the Narwhal, Buck and Curly joined two other dogs.
One of them was a big, snow-white fellow from Spitzbergen (斯匹次尔根群岛) who had been brought away by a whaling (捕鲸) captain, and who had later accompanied a Geological Survey into the Barrens (瘠地).{4}
He was friendly, in a treacherous (凶险的) sort of way, smiling into one's face the while he meditated some underhand (偷偷摸摸的) trick, as, for instance, when he stole from Buck's food at the first meal.
As Buck sprang to punish him, the lash of François’s whip sang through the air, reaching the culprit (罪魁祸首) first; and nothing remained to Buck but to recover the bone.
That was fair of Francois, he decided, and the half-breed began his rise in Buck's estimation (判断).
The other dog made no advances (进展), nor received any; also, he did not attempt to steal from the newcomers.
He was a gloomy (忧郁), morose (孤僻的) fellow, and he showed Curly plainly that all he desired was to be left alone, and further, that there would be trouble if he were not left alone.
"Dave" he was called, and he ate and slept, or yawned between times, and took interest in nothing, not even when the Narwhal crossed Queen Charlotte Sound (夏洛特皇后海峡) and rolled (摇晃) and pitched (移动) and bucked (跳动) like a thing possessed.
When Buck and Curly grew excited, half wild with fear, he raised his head although annoyed, favored them with an incurious (不感兴趣的) glance, yawned, and went to sleep again.
Day and night the ship throbbed (颤动) to the tireless pulse of the propeller (螺旋桨), and though one day was very like another, it was apparent to Buck that the weather was steadily growing colder.
At last, one morning, the propeller was quiet, and the Narwhal was pervaded (弥漫) with an atmosphere of excitement.
He felt it, as did the other dogs, and knew that a change was at hand. Francois leashed (用皮带系住) them and brought them on deck.
At the first step upon the cold surface, Buck's feet sank into a white mushy (软的) something very like mud (泥). He sprang back with a snort (喷鼻息).
More of this white stuff was falling through the air. He shook himself, but more of it fell upon him. He sniffed it curiously, then licked some up on his tongue.
It bit like fire, and the next instant was gone. This puzzled him. He tried it again, with the same result.
The onlookers (旁观者) laughed uproariously, and he felt ashamed, he knew not why, for it was his first snow.
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Buck’s first day on the Dye beach was like a nightmare. Every hour was filled with shock and surprise.
He had been suddenly jerked from the heart of civilization and flung into the heart of things primordial. No lazy, sun-kissed life was this, with nothing to do but loaf (懒散) and be bored.
Here was neither peace, nor rest, nor a moment’s safety. All was confusion and action, and every moment life and limb (肢体) were in peril (危险).
There was imperative (迫切的) need to be constantly alert; for these dogs and men were not town dogs and men. They were savages (野蛮人), all of them, who knew no law but the law of club and fang (尖牙).
He had never seen dogs fight as these wolfish (狼一般的) creatures fought, and his first experience taught him an unforgettable lesson.
It is true, it was a vicarious (间接感受到的) experience, else he would not have lived to profit by it.
Curly was the victim. They were camped (宿营) near the log (木材) store, where she, in her friendly way, made advances to a husky (爱斯基摩犬) dog the size of a full-grown wolf, though not half so large as she.
There was no warning, only a leap in like a flash, a metallic (金属似的) clip of teeth, a leap out equally swift, and Curly's face was ripped (撕裂) open from eye to jaw.
It was the wolf manner of fighting, to strike and leap away; but there was more to it than this.
Thirty or forty huskies ran to the spot and surrounded the combatants (斗士，指柯利和她的对手) in an intent and silent circle.
Buck did not comprehend that silent intentness, nor the eager way with which they were licking their chops (嘴周围的地方).
Curly rushed her antagonist (对手), who struck again and leaped aside. He met her next rush with his chest, in a peculiar (独特的) fashion that tumbled her off her feet.{5}
She never regained them, this was what the onlooking huskies had waited for. They closed in upon her, snarling and yelping, and she was buried, screaming with agony, beneath the bristling mass of bodies.
So sudden was it, and so unexpected, that Buck was taken aback. He saw Spitz (前文中提到的口蜜腹剑的狗) run out his scarlet tongue in a way he had of laughing; and he saw Francois, swinging an axe, spring into the mess of dogs.
Three men with clubs were helping him to scatter them.