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    Il richiamo della foresta: Ediz. integrale
    Il richiamo della foresta: Ediz. integrale
    Il richiamo della foresta: Ediz. integrale
    Ebook119 pages1 hour

    Il richiamo della foresta: Ediz. integrale

    By Jack London

    4/5

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    Buck, figlio di un San Bernardo e di una femmina di razza Collie, passa le proprie giornate in tranquillità nella valle di Santa Clara. Un giorno, il giardiniere della villa, per pagare alcuni debiti lo ruba, rivendendolo come cane da slitta in Alaska a una coppia di cercatori d’oro. Nonostante il radicale cambiamento di vita, il cane impara ad adattarsi alle nuove regole diventando col tempo un leader rispettato dai compagni della muta. Dopo questa esperienza viene nuovamente venduto a Charles, a sua moglie e al fratello, un trio di improvvisati avventurieri che non sanno come gestire un branco di cani da slitta e nemmeno come fronteggiare l’ostile territorio dell’Alaska. Incontrano durante il loro viaggio John Thornton, un vero amante della natura e dei cani che capisce subito le condizioni pessime nelle quali versa il povero Buck, ormai allo stremo delle forze e denutrito. Dopo averlo liberato, il nuovo padrone cura il cane e lo riporta agli antichi splendori di forza e coraggio. Sempre in viaggio alla ricerca dell’oro, una notte, di ritorno dalla caccia, il protagonista trova Thornton e i suoi compari trucidati dagli indiani che stanno festeggiando l’avvenuto massacro. Buck, solo contro tutti, riesce a vendicare il suo amico/padrone uccidendo tutti i pellerossa. Ormai libero si unisce a un gruppo di lupi conosciuto nel frattempo seguendo così il proprio richiamo della foresta.
    LanguageItaliano
    PublisherCrescere
    Release dateFeb 21, 2017
    ISBN9788883375606
    Il richiamo della foresta: Ediz. integrale
    Author

    Jack London

    Jack London was born in San Francisco in 1876, and was a prolific and successful writer until his death in 1916. During his lifetime he wrote novels, short stories and essays, and is best known for ‘The Call of the Wild’ and ‘White Fang’.

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    Reviews for Il richiamo della foresta

    4/5

    3,825 ratings114 reviews

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    • 1/5
      Maybe it's because I'm not a dog, but I just don't find it interesting being in the mind of Buck. I was very excited to read this because so many people raved about it, but it just didn't hold my interest even as a child.
    • 5/5
      It's pretty hard to find fault with this story or the way it's told. It was particularly engaging to read while my family is in the process of rehabilitating a very fearful rescue dog. Jack London is among the go-to authors for perspective on how we think when you pare away frivolous comforts - and that's exemplified in CotW.
    • 3/5
      When I initially read this American classic, I was in either elementary or high school. It had all the elements to entice a young boy. It is an adventure which occurs during the Yukon gold rush. The story's protagonist is Buck, an 140 lb St. Bernard and Scotch Collie mix, who is abducted from an easy life as the pet in St. Clara, California, and sold to dog traders who eventually sells him to mail couriers as a sled dog in the Yukon Territory. Buck will need to tap in to his more primeval instincts if he is to survive the harsh northern conditions. The third reason I chose this book is that it was short at less than 100 pages. I had recently read Moby Dick and I needed a break!It has been good revisiting some of the classics I read as a youth. They become more enjoyable when you understand better literary themes and metaphors.
    • 2/5
      Believe it or not, I've never read The Call of the Wild (1903) by Jack London, which one would think is a requirement of being a kid in America. And I still haven't read it, although on a whim I listened to my library's audiobook copy, albeit not very carefully. Narrated in an appropriately macho fashion by Frank Muller, The Call of the Wild tells the story of Buck a farm dog who is kidnapped from Northern California and forced to pull sleds for for miners in the Yukon gold rush. A cushy pet learns to fight for food and compete for leadership of the pack through fighting and violence, and eventually becomes alpha dog in a wild wolf pack after his owner dies.Yes friends, before I read this book I knew it had something to do with Alaska and dogs, but I had no idea that the entire book is about a dog from a dog's point of view. Granted, the book is very symbolic in that we humans sit very tenuously on the edge of civilization and brutality and savageness (and London wrote this before the World Wars, the Holocaust, and all the horrors of the 20th century that tested humanity). Still, as a book about dogs it's a very good and accurate look at what may be going on in a dog's mind.
    • 5/5
      Great book. Everyone should read it.
    • 4/5
      I read this book a few pages at a time (distracted by Facebook, Instagram & Twitter - the usual suspects). When I finally finished it I felt I had read a wonderful, though quite violent, story. Yes, despite flaws, a great tale.
    • 4/5
      Trust, betrayal, loyalty and animal cruelty. A heart wrenching story about the life of dogs during the gold rush from an animal POV. I am not always a fan of such an approach but it worked well here. Highly engaging (worked well for an audiobook) but not black and white, as I could relate even to the most "evil" characters. I guess that's why it's a "classic" (mental note: "Read more classics"=).
    • 4/5
      Synopsis.......The story takes place in the extreme conditions of the Yukon during the 19th-century Klondike Gold Rush, where strong sled dogs were in high demand. After Buck, a domesticated dog, is snatched from a pastoral ranch in California, he is sold into a brutal life as a sled dog. The novella details Buck's struggle to adjust and survive the cruel treatment he receives from humans, other dogs, and nature. He eventually sheds the veneer of civilization altogether and instead relies on primordial instincts and the lessons he has learned to become a respected and feared leader in the wild.Published back in 1903 after the author had spent sometime in the aforementioned Yukon.I was looking for something a little bit different and quick to read after getting bogged down by another book which I wasn't enjoying. I had previously heard of this book, hasn't everyone(?) but can't recall reading it ever during my near half-century of years, not even in the dim and distant days of school. Glad I made the effort though.Gripping, exciting, moving.......a testament of an indomitable spirit, bravery, determination, loyalty, fearlessness, and probably another dozen or so admirable attributes. Sad in places, but ultimately an uplifting and rewarding read.I wouldn't put it past me finding more from London in the future.4 from 5Down-loaded free from the internet.
    • 4/5
      Very enjoyable. I felt like Buck's dreaming of prehistoric man was unnecessary and I think it would have been better without that.
    • 4/5
      Another one of those books that seems to have gotten past me in my school days, I just recently read The Call of the Wild for the first time. Like many of these books that I'm discovering pretty much everyone else has read except me, I think I'm glad that I came at them as an adult, as I don't think I would have revisited them had I read them earlier, and I don't think I would have taken away as much when I was younger. Jack London's story about Buck, a St. Bernard-Scotch Shepherd who is kidnapped from his idyllic southern California home to be a sled dog in the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush is a powerful tale. We follow Buck's journey as he discovers that not all men are kind like his previous owners, learns to navigate the ins and outs of the sled dog's pack pecking order, and finally as he discovers the primal nature of his being as he eventually starts to venture out into the wilderness on his own. The imagery that London uses in describing Buck's discovery of that primal nature is remarkable; I think of anything else in the book, I enjoyed these sequences best.
    • 4/5
      It's great juvenile literature, however, adults could also enjoy it for its so many fine qualities. Dog lovers and nature lovers in general will share more than one state of mind with Buck and the general description of the wilderness. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      Great book!
    • 1/5
      Horrid book.
    • 3/5
      It's hard to believe, that with 82 years of reading all sorts of books, this the first American Classic from an American Classic author that I''ve read. I'll try more of the classics but this work is no where near the top of my list of books. Yes, it is quite an adventure for this dog and he certainly had very many experiences but I can't get to the level of classical literature.
    • 3/5
      This is one of those books that I might have read before and forgotten about it. This was a pretty good book, I think my favorite part was that I picked up a new vocabulary word because the author over used it... "virility."
    • 5/5
      Both of these tales (White Fang & Call of the Wild), one of a civilized dog who embraces the wild after he is stolen and one of a wild dog tamed by the love of a man...are both masterpieces that embrace the animal and flawed humanity in man and the the beasts that show us so and brave so much. Both are raw, emotional tales told in sparse, beautiful language that gnaw at you long after you put them down. First read at age 12, and enjoyed again as much at 41.
    • 3/5
      The story is written from the perspective of Buck, the dog. He is large, he is faithful and pragmatic, and he is kidnapped by a worker on the ranch he lives on, and sold to a trader who sends him north to run with a team dragging sleds. Poor Buck is mistreated, and faces a hard run. It is not just humans who are cruel to him, other dogs resent his size and presence, and battles for position as alpha male take place. The dog team are run to the ground, and Bucks saving grace is his size, strength and stamina. He is passed to and from inept and cruel owners until he finally meets an owner he can trust and bond with.It's a nice, if somewhat violent, story. Nothing too deep, but a read that carries you along.
    • 4/5
      The Call of the Wild by Jack London is a book I have long wanted to read, somehow missing this classic as a younger reader. Now that I have read it, I am glad that this was missed in my younger days as I don’t know if I would have been able to handle the animal cruelty that plays such a large part of this story. Maybe we were tougher years ago as many of the great animal classic stories like this one, Black Beauty and Beautiful Joe have many scenes that today would not be accepted in a children’s story.The story of Buck, being snatched from his easy life in California and being taken to work in the gold fields, shows him to be a special dog, dominant and intelligent, and, after finding out how cruel man can be, he learns to read both people and the situations that arise in his life. The story follows Buck as he is passed through various owners, some cruel, some indifferent and one that Buck learns to love. All the while, deep inside Buck comes a call, a desire to run free in the wilderness.At my much advanced age, I can now appreciate Jack London’s writing, especially when describing the Alaskan wilderness. The story is fast paced with excellent action sequences and overall I would class this a great read, if, and it’s a big if, you can face the brutality of what Buck goes through. The themes of like natured beasts calling out to each other, and the luring back to the primordial life that exists deep in memory are a little dated but overall this is a compelling read. London uses language like a poet, simple, at times savage but always rich in imagery.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this story. The writing was clever and well-crafted, the dog's story was interesting, and the themes of the power of instinct and love - in nature and in between a human and an animal - this was all well-done. It was a very different book from what I usually read. The voices and the characters are all male; the story seems to be targeted at young men or boys. It certainly wasn't a favourite. Even so, it is hard to deny that this is a classic, and I am glad I took the time to read it.
    • 4/5
      A terrific dog story, though hard to read at times because of all that Buck endures. I read it in the Library of America edition. Had never read it as a child as far as I recall; I note that some film versions are geared towards children and I can only assume (hope?) they have been bowdlerized; I wouldn't recommend this for children under 10 or 11 no matter their reading level.
    • 5/5
      I wan't sure I was going to like a book like this but ended up reading it in one day. I'm still amazed how he wrote this incredible yet credible story which felt pretty much from the dog's POV and yet, not. The omniscient. I learned quite a bit from this story about mushing, the dogs, Alaska, and the period. Society conveniently forgets that our dogs descended from wolves and even though Buck was violently deprived of his posh former life, his regression to the wild was spiritually liberating. It was a gruesome story and I hate suffering in animals but I still appreciated it for the brilliant writing and look forward to more of London's writing.
    • 2/5
      being a cat person it might have been a mistake to read a book about a dog. the dog was terrorized by a man in a red sweater? i thought dogs cannot see red. and do dogs really think so much? and fight ti dead to lead a sledge? not sure why this is a classic.
    • 5/5
      One of those classics that's definitely no chore, and one assessable even when I read it as a child. I'm not about to forget Buck, a dog who hears the call of the wild. And as is the case with a friend who also loves this book, the sledge hauling contest is indelibly impressed into my mind. How many books can you say leave that kind of impression decades later? One of those stories that can make an animal protagonist come alive. (And the same can be said for London's other novel with a dog protagonist--White Fang).
    • 5/5
      This is a timeless classic that should be a must read for everyone. It's on the list of books my children will read and one of those I make sure the local library has a good copy of. The author knows what he's writing about and it shows as you read through a touching story about a dog growing up and the troubles he endures.
    • 4/5
      I followed up my recent reading of 'White Fang' with rereading of this earlier Jack London novel, and they made an interesting comparison. There was something slightly more anthropomorphic about 'Call of the Wild' and certainly more emphasis on the bond between Buck and his various human owners (especially his last owner John Thornton). The climax of this novel, where Buck finally answers the 'call' and joins the wild wolves, anticipates the 'White Fang' story which is darker and closer to nature. I would say that the writing is richer and more mature in 'White Fang' but some of the set-piece incidents here - such as Thornton's wager that Buck could singlehandedly break out a thousand pound sled load and pull it one hundred yards - are as exciting as I remember them as a boy reader.
    • 4/5
      The Call of the WildYamamoto, MitsuAR Quiz # 30529 EN FICTIONIL: MG - BL: 5.5 AR Points 2.0AR Quiz Types RP, VPThoroughly enjoyed this retelling of the classic Jack London novel about Buck, part St. Bernard, part wolf and part super hero. I give it 4 stars and would recommend this book to all students and adults alike.I thought the graphics on each page were well done and helped readers visualize the rugged and difficult life Buck is thrown into without warning. He is abducted from a world of comfort on Judge Miller's farm, to a world where his survival depends on his instincts, guile and ability to adapt quickly to his changing circumstances.Fascinating that Mr. London could have written this novel in the early 1900's and the novel remains so timeless. I would hope that students today can still relate to such a beloved dog and the people and animals he meets along his journey to finding his true nature. It was fun to reread this inspirational story once again.I love the way good and evil are portrayed through both men and animals. I particularly liked watching Buck overcome these evils through both patience and his persistence until ultimately becoming a leader among the sled dogs.When Buck is befriended by John Thornton, we get lulled into a false sense of security thinking Buck will now be forever protected by this great man. But the greatest test of Buck's life is yet to come, and in the final climactic chapters, Bucks true superhero nature comes out as he defends his companion to the end.
    • 5/5
      I never read this as a youngster though it seemed to be "unofficially required" reading in elementary school. I always assumed it was man and his dog story, but it turned out to be civilized dog returns to wilderness story told from the dog's point of view. And it worked well. Very well written and engaging.
    • 4/5
      London is the master of adventure and Call never disappoints for when I need to escape for an afternoon through the eyes of Buck. I usually read it every few years.
    • 4/5
      I vaguely remember reading The Call of the Wild while I was in elementary school. I remembered it being a story about a sled dog in the cold wilderness of Alaska. Beyond that, I had forgotten nearly all of the plot and most of the characters and so it was with fairly fresh eyes that I reproached this book.The first thing I noticed that the book was told from a close 3rd person view of the DOG's perspective. I'm sure this point of view is one of the characteristics that made this book initially interesting to critics and educators. Fortunately there is a lot more to the book than a novel or quirky idea of telling the story from a dog's point of view. The perspective change didn't come off as cheesy or manipulative. Rather the narrative choice allowed us to see the story in a new mindset and brush away stereotypical thoughts and ideas. By stripping away our human perspective it leaves us open to seeing ideas and principles in a new light. Even though we are tied very closely to the dog Buck and his cohorts, the story doesn't become an animated cartoon or other scenario where the animals are humanized and given thoughts or speech. This choice was surprising but as I thought about it I found myself really appreciating the fact that even though the story is being told "through" Buck, we don't find Buck as fully anthropomorphized as you might see in other stories. While we read some of his general thoughts we don't "hear" him thinking or speaking in a human sense. I really liked this distinction as it keeps his animal self a bit more distance and less invaded by human traits seen in something like Animal Farm or other animal fiction tales. Still I can see the argument that we really can't know what an animal is thinking or feeling and so it is still certain that London has placed some human thoughts and motivations onto Buck that may not be wholly natural.As to the high level plot, we follow the life of Buck the dog from the time he is stolen from his warm, comfortable home in California and taken to the Yukon to be a sled dog during the gold rush. He is confused, angry and belligerent but he also quickly realizes the nature of the situation and the reliance on the humans for food, protection and care. Buck learns which humans to trust and how to behave around them and he also gets to know the other dogs on his team and in his camp. Over time Buck works in a variety of teams and for a variety of different people but the more and more he lives in the cold wilderness, the more he realizes there is something out there calling to him.I really enjoyed seeing Buck learning to navigate the harsh new world he'd been thrown into. Not only did he have to learn how to manage the cold snow (which he'd never seen before) and the bitter environment but he also had to deal with men and dogs who didn't respect him or care for him in the same way he was used to. He had to learn the ins and outs of a whole new social structure. by dealing with the new pack mentality of fighting for food and learning which dogs were leaders, which were followers and which would stand by neutrally. It also showcases his struggle between domestication or subservience to humans and the fight to return to his primitive nature and animal instincts.Overall I really enjoyed this story and can see why it's recommended reading for younger readers, especially younger boys. The story is fast paced and has some exciting action sequences. It deals with the life of dogs, adventurers and the unknown wilderness. Beyond its basic appeal to the readers, the book does a good job teaching about different aspects of the world. Even though it focuses on the life of a dog it can teach readers a lot about the nuances of social interaction, dealing with hardship, making difficult choices, loyalty, trust and love. There are some violent scenes that could trouble younger readers, especially animal lovers, but otherwise I see this as a great book for elementary kids or middle graders to read and I think adults can have a lot of fun with this as well.****4 out of 5 stars
    • 4/5
      A sad, wonderful tale.

    Book preview

    Il richiamo della foresta - Jack London

    richiamo

    CAPITOLO I

    Verso i primordi

    Buck, non leggendo i giornali, non poteva sapere i guai che si preparavano non solo per lui ma per tutti i cani di grandi dimensioni, di forte muscolatura e di lungo e caldo pelo fra lo stretto di Puget e San Diego. Perché gli uomini scavando nelle buie profondità dell'Artico, avevano trovato un biondo metallo, e le compagnie di navigazione e di trasporti ne avevano diffuso la notizia facendo accorrere migliaia di cercatori nelle regioni del Nord. Questi uomini avevano bisogno di cani, e i cani che cercavano dovevano essere forti, di robusta muscolatura per sopportare le fatiche, e con folte pellicce che li proteggessero dal freddo.

    Buck viveva in una grande casa nella vallata di Santa Chiara baciata dal sole. Era detta la Proprietà del giudice Miller. Un po' lontana dalla strada, era mezzo nascosta tra gli alberi, attraverso i quali si poteva scorgere la grande e ombrosa veranda che la circondava dai quattro lati. Si giungeva alla casa per viali di ghiaia che andavano per vasti prati sotto i rami intrecciati di alti pioppi. Sul dietro tutto era costruito in dimensioni più vaste che sul davanti. Vi erano grandi stalle, a cui accudivano una dozzina di mozzi e di stallieri, file di casette rivestite di vite selvatica, per la servitù, e una distesa ordinata e senza termine di costruzioni minori, i lunghi filari di viti, verdi pascoli, frutteti, e cespugli.

    Vi era un impianto per il pozzo artesiano, e la grande vasca di cemento dove i ragazzi del giudice Miller facevano il bagno tutte le mattine e prendevano il fresco al pomeriggio. Buck regnava su questa vasta tenuta. Lì era nato e lì era vissuto per quattro anni della sua vita. E' vero che vi erano altri cani: non si sarebbe potuto fare a meno di altri cani, in una proprietà così vasta; ma non contava. Andavano e venivano, alloggiando nei popolosi canili o vivendo oscuramente nell'intimo della casa come Toots, il cagnolino giapponese, o Ysabel, la messicana senza pelo, strana creatura che raramente metteva il naso fuori dell'uscio o le zampe a terra. Vi erano inoltre i fox-terriers, una banda che gridava paurose minacce a Toots e a Ysabel guardandoli attraverso le finestre e sfidando una legione di cameriere che li proteggevano armate di scope e di strofinacci.

    Buck non era né un cane casalingo né un cane da canile. Il reame era tutto suo. Si tuffava nella vasca o andava a caccia con i figli del giudice; scortava Mollie e Alice, le figlie del giudice, durante lunghe passeggiate mattutine o crepuscolari; e, nelle serate invernali, stava sdraiato ai piedi del giudice davanti al camino scoppiettante della biblioteca. Si lasciava cavalcare dai nipotini del giudice o li faceva rotolare sulI'erba, e sorvegliava i loro passi nelle loro avventurose escursioni alla fontana nel cortile delle scuderie e anche più in là, verso i prati e i cespugli. Andava imperiosamente fra i terriers e ignorava Toots e Ysabel nel modo più assoluto, perché era un re: un re di tutto ciò che camminava, strisciava o volava nella proprietà del giudice Miller, compresi gli uomini.

    Elmo, suo padre, un grande San Bernardo, era stato il compagno inseparabile del giudice, e Buck prometteva di seguire le orme paterne. Non era grosso come lui: pesava solo centoquaranta libbre, perché sua madre Shep era una cagna da pastore scozzese.

    Queste centoquaranta libbre, tuttavia, a cui bisognava aggiungere la dignità che proviene da un buon vivere e da un universale rispetto, gli permettevano di comportarsi in un modo veramente regale. Durante i suoi primi quattro anni di vita aveva vissuto al modo di un aristocratico benestante; era orgogliosamente soddisfatto di sé, ed era anche un tantino egoista come sono spesso i gentiluomini di campagna per il loro stesso isolamento.

    Ma si era salvato dal pericolo di diventare solo un grasso cane casalingo. La caccia e gli altri esercizi affini all'aria aperta gli avevano tolto il grasso e rafforzato i muscoli; e l'amore per l'acqua era stato per lui, come per tutti quelli della sua razza, un tonico salutare.

    Questa era la condizione del cane Buck sullo scorcio del 1897, quando la scoperta dei giacimenti del Klondike, richiamò uomini da tutte le parti del mondo nel gelato Nord. Ma Buck non leggeva i giornali, e non sapeva che Manuel, uno degli aiutanti del giardiniere, era una conoscenza alquanto pericolosa. Manuel aveva una passione fatale: gli piaceva giocare alla lotteria cinese.

    Inoltre, in questo gioco, aveva una debolezza ancora più fatale:

    la fede in un sistema; e questo fu la sua rovina. Perché per giocare con un sistema bisogna avere molto denaro, mentre il salario di un aiuto giardiniere poteva bastargli solo a mantenere una moglie e una numerosa progenie.

    Nella memorabile sera del tradimento di Manuel, il giudice era a una riunione dell'Associazione dei Viticoltori, e i ragazzi si davano da fare per organizzare un circolo sportivo. Nessuno vide lui e Buck attraversare il frutteto dove Buck credeva di andare a fare una semplice passeggiata. Ad eccezione di un unico uomo, nessuno li vide arrivare alla piccola stazione di College Park.

    L'uomo parlò con Manuel e ci fu tra loro un tintinnio di monete.

    - Dovete impacchettare la merce prima di consegnarla, - disse rudemente lo straniero; e Manuel passò due volte una solida corda attorno al collo di Buck sotto il collare.

    - Torcetela e lo terrete fermo come vorrete, - disse Manuel, e lo straniero grugnì un cenno affermativo. Buck aveva accettato la corda con tranquilla dignità; certo era una cosa insolita: ma aveva imparato ad aver fiducia negli uomini che conosceva e a far loro credito di una saggezza superiore alla propria. Quando però i capi della fune furono messi nelle mani dello straniero, ringhiò in modo minaccioso. Aveva semplicemente espresso il suo scontento, pensando nel proprio orgoglio che questo equivalesse ad un comando. Con sua sorpresa la fune gli si strinse attorno al collo togliendogli il respiro. Furioso balzò addosso all'uomo, che lo fermò a mezza strada, lo strinse ancor più forte alla gola e con uno strattone se lo caricò sulla schiena. La fune strinse senza misericordia mentre Buck annaspava furiosamente con la lingua penzoloni fuori della bocca e il grande petto anelante. Mai in vita sua era stato trattato così vilmente, e mai in vita sua si era arrabbiato tanto... Ma le forze lo abbandonarono, la vista gli si annebbiò, ed egli non capiva più nulla quando i due uomini lo caricarono sul bagagliaio di un treno.

    Quando riprese i sensi si accorse che la lingua gli faceva male e che era sballottato in qualche cosa in movimento. Il fischio acuto di una locomotiva a un passaggio a livello gli fece capire dov'era: aveva viaggiato troppo spesso col giudice per non conoscere la sensazione di essere in un bagagliaio. Aprì gli occhi con l'angoscia di un re rapito. L'uomo gli saltò alla gola, ma Buck fu più svelto di lui: le sue mascelle gli afferrarono la mano e non la lasciarono finché non perse nuovamente i sensi.

    - Maledizione, ha un attacco, - disse l'uomo nascondendo la sua mano straziata al custode del bagagliaio che era accorso al rumore della lotta. - Lo porto a San Francisco per incarico del padrone; crede che un veterinario laggiù possa curarlo.

    Quel che era avvenuto in quella notte di viaggio, I'uomo lo raccontò con molta eloquenza nel piccolo retrobottega di una taverna del porto di San Francisco.

    - Ci ho guadagnato in tutto cinquanta dollari, - brontolava; - se lo avessi saputo non l'avrei fatto nemmeno per mille pagati l'uno sull'altro.

    La sua mano era avvolta in un fazzoletto insanguinato e il pantalone destro era stracciato dal ginocchio alla caviglia.

    - E quello che te l'ha venduto quanto ha preso? - domandò il padrone della taverna.

    - Cento, - fu la risposta. - Neppure un soldo di meno.

    - Fanno centocinquanta, - disse il taverniere facendo il conto, - ma li vale davvero.

    Il ladro si tolse la fasciatura sanguinosa e si guardò la mano lacerata. - Se non mi piglio l'idrofobia...

    - Vorrà dire che sei nato per essere impiccato, - disse il taverniere ridendo. - Sù, dammi una mano per imballare il carico, - aggiunse.

    Sbigottito, soffrendo tremendamente alla gola e alla lingua, mezzo morto, Buck cercò di resistere ai suoi tormentatori. Ma fu domato e abbattuto più volte finché i due riuscirono a limare il suo grosso collare di ottone; poi gli tolsero anche la fune e lo spinsero in una gabbia di legno. Rimase per il resto di quella spaventosa notte covando la sua rabbia e il suo orgoglio ferito.

    Non riusciva a capire che cosa significasse tutto questo. Che cosa volevano fare di lui quegli strani uomini? Perché lo avevano chiuso in quella stretta gabbia? Non riusciva a capacitarsi, ma si sentiva oppresso dal vago senso di una sciagura imminente. Più volte durante la notte balzò in piedi nel sentire aprire la porta, aspettandosi di vedere il giudice o almeno i ragazzi. Ogni volta era la faccia gonfia del taverniere che lo guardava alla fioca luce di una candela. E ogni volta il grido di gioia che già tremava nella gola di Buck si cambiava in un mugolio selvaggio.

    Infine

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