In chapter 3 of The Call of The Wild The dominant primordial beast was strong in Buck. And it was still growing. Spitz and buck had grown a hatred towards each other. A fight for leadership and dominance. Spitz took every chance he could to bully Buck or start a fight. It would have happened If it weren’t for unwanted accident causing them to make a bleak and miserable camp on the shore of Lake LeBarge. Buck had made a nest under a large rock so he could keep warm. Buck hated to leave the warm nest he made but he had to so he could get his ration. When he returned he found none other than his enemy Spitz had taken it for himself.
Buck usually would avoid fighting but this was too much. Buck sprang on Spitz which surprised them both. While Buck and Spitz were fighting a couple of hunger crazed huskies had crept into the camp. Perrault and francois sprang on the huskies trying to fend them off so they wouldn’t take more than they already had. Soon after the rest of the team had burst out to help them fight. They were heavily wounded. Billie with a sudden burst bravery quickly fled across the ice with the rest soon following after him. Spitz was still trying to engage in a fight with Buck. Soon the 9 teammates met together in the forest.
They all were badly injured so they had to rest for the night in the forest. Once it was morning they limped back to camp to find perrault and francois enraged. Their marauders were gone and fully half of the food supply was gone. The crazed huskies had chewed or eaten anything they could find, Leaving the team with low or damaged supplies. After 2 hours of fixing the harnesses francois finally got them ready for the team. They soon were harnessed up and went through the hardest trail they had encountered so far. It was painful and tiring. It took six days to get through those 30 miles of the river. By the time they made it to hootalinqua, Buck was completely worn down.
The rest of the dogs were in like condition. To make up for lost time perrault pushed late and early. Bucks feet had suffered greatly from all the running and rough terrain. His feet were softer then the huskies, So when they made it to camp Buck collapsed not budging. Not even moving to get his ration which had to be taken to him. The dog-driver rubbed his feet for him every night for half an hour and he even made him some moccasins for Buck until his feet got tougher. Bucks feet did get tougher over time, so he didn’t need the shoes any more. One morning dolly, one of the dogs, went mad and sprang after buck.
They fought until francois brought down an axe onto dollys head and that was the end of it. Buck had staggered back onto the sled exhausted. Spitz took this as an opportunity to attack him, so he did and got a harsh whip. From then on it was a war between him and Buck. It was inevitable that the fight for leadership would come, Buck wanted it, to be a leader He would openly threaten the others leadership. One morning pike wouldn’t show up even after francois had called him. He was under a foot of snow in his nest he made the night before. Spitz went into rage searching and digging for him everywhere. Once he found pike he flew at him to punish him only to be blocked by Buck. Buck quickly flew in between them. It surprised Spitz enough make him stumble back in surprise. Pike, taking an open heart to this mutiny, sprang at Spitz and so did Buck. Francois lashed down on Buck with all his might and Spitz punished pike for acting out. In the days that followed as they got closer to dawson Buck continued to interfere with Spitz and the culprits But he did it when francois wasn’t around. With the mutiny of buck thing in team no longer went right. Dave and sol-lek were unaffected, but the team was always bickering or have small quarrels.
Soon they arrived in dawson one dreary afternoon with a great fight still yet to come. Here in dawson dogs were put to do all the work instead of horses. They swung up and down main streets all day hauling our collecting different things. Seven days from when they pulled into dawson they dropped down the steep bank to the yukon trail for dyea and salt water. Perrault way hauling despatches of anything more important than what he had brought in. They made a sixty mile on their first day but due to Bucks little mutiny it caused the team to go out of line causing things to be a bit tougher than they had to be. They no longer feared Spitz as their leader.
Since the discipline in the camp had faltered more small fights broke out between all of them which caused francois to go into a rage. One night at the mouth of tahkeena, dub had spotted a rabbit and jumped after it but missed. Soon the whole camp was chasing after this rabbit in hopes of catching it. Spitz is the only one who noticed the shortcut they could to get the rabbit in their grasp. Buck didn’t notice so when he saw spitz jump out and clamp onto the rabbit he was a bit surprised. Buck drove himself upon Spitz, shoulder to shoulder. Missing the throat. They both tumbled into the powdery snow. Spitz quickly gained his footing slashed Buck down the shoulder. In a flash Buck knew the time had come, a fight to the death, a fight for leadership and authority. Spits was a practised and skilled fighter. This wasn’t going to be easy for Buck. Buck tried and tried again to get to Spitz throat but, each time he was blocked or attacked first by Spitz.
Conclusion
Buck was covered in wounds and blood while Spitz was untouched. It was getting desperate. As Buck got winded spitz started rushing him to get him off his feet but Buck kept his footing,recovering fast. Buck held a quality that helped give an advantage, imagination. He was able to use is head in different ways to win. Buck rushed again, acting like he was going for the shoulder again but he quickly ducks down clamping one of Spitz legs and breaking it. He did the same with another. There was nope hope for Spitz he had lost. Buck claiming the title of champion.