Read the story of a brave dog attempting an impossible feat.
In this famous scene from Jack London's 'The Call of the Wild', a dog named Buck must win a bet for his master, John Thornton, by pulling a sled loaded with one thousand pounds of flour.
The team of ten dogs was unhitched, and Buck, with his own harness, was put into the sled. He had caught the contagion of the excitement, and he felt that in some way he must do a great thing for John Thornton. Murmurs of admiration at his splendid appearance went up. He was in perfect condition, without an ounce of superfluous flesh, and the one hundred and fifty pounds that he weighed were so many pounds of grit and virility. His furry coat shone with the sheen of silk. Down the neck and across the shoulders, his mane, in repose as it was, half bristled and seemed to lift with every movement, as though excess of vigour made each particular hair alive and active.
What motivates Buck at the start of the challenge?
Which detail from the text emphasizes Buck's physical fitness?
The great breast and heavy fore legs were no more than in proportion with the rest of the body, where the muscles showed in tight rolls underneath the skin. Men felt these muscles and proclaimed them hard as iron, and the odds went down to two to one. Thornton knelt down by Buck's side. He took his head in his two hands and rested cheek on cheek. He did not playfully shake him, as was his wont, or murmur soft love curses; but he whispered in his ear. 'As you love me, Buck. As you love me,' was what he whispered. Buck whined with suppressed eagerness.
The crowd was watching curiously. The affair was growing mysterious. It seemed like a conjuration. As Thornton got to his feet, Buck seized his mittened hand between his jaws, pressing in with his teeth and releasing slowly, half-reluctantly. It was the answer, in terms not of speech, but of love. Thornton stepped well back.
Why does the crowd's opinion of Buck change (the odds went down)?
What is significant about Buck biting Thornton's hand?
'Now, Buck,' he said. Buck tightened the traces, then slacked them for a matter of several inches. It was the way he had learned. 'Gee!' Thornton's voice rang out, sharp in the tense silence. Buck swung to the right, ending the movement in a plunge that took up the slack and with a sudden jerk arrested his one hundred and fifty pounds. The load quivered, and from under the runners arose a crisp crackling. 'Haw!' Thornton commanded. Buck duplicated the manoeuvre, this time to the left. The crackling turned into a snapping, the sled pivoting and the runners slipping and grating several inches to the side. The sled was broken out. Men were holding their breaths, intensely unconscious of the fact.
'Now, MUSH!' Thornton's command cracked out like a pistol-shot. Buck threw himself forward, tightening the traces with a jarring lunge. His whole body was gathered compactly together in the tremendous effort, the muscles writhing and knotting like live things under the silky fur. The sled lurched ahead in what appeared a rapid succession of jerks... half an inch... an inch... two inches... As he passed the firewood and halted at command, a cheer began to grow and grow, which burst into a roar. Hats and mittens were flying in the air. Men were shaking hands and bubbling over in a general incoherent babel. Thornton fell on his knees beside Buck. Head was against head, and he was shaking him back and forth. Those who hurried up heard him cursing Buck, and he cursed long and fervently, and softly and lovingly.
How does Buck manage to start the heavy sled moving?
What literary technique is used in the phrase 'Thornton's command cracked out like a pistol-shot'?
Why is the crowd described as a 'general incoherent babel' at the end?