CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

California

After many days on the ship, Weeden Scott and White Fang arrived in San Francisco, California. When White Fang got off the ship, he was very afraid. He saw huge buildings, many people, many automobiles, and huge electric street cars. Life in California was entirely different from life in Arctic Canada.

Weeden Scott and White Fang next went to the train station. The train would not allow White Fang inside the passenger section. Therefore, they put him in the luggage section of the train. This was a horrible experience for White Fang. It was one of the most frightening of his life. He was put in the corner of the dark car with the passengers' suitcases. He had a thick chain on his neck and could hardly move. White Fang thought that his Master had left him. Then, he smelled the master's luggage. He protected the luggage for the rest of the trip. Suddenly, after many dark hours, the door opened. A man tried to take Weeden Scott's luggage from the car. White Fang did not allow this to happen. He growled at the man. An hour later, Weeden Scott came to the car. The man said, "That dog won't let me go near your things!"

When White Fang got out of the train, he was very surprised. The city had disappeared. He was now in the California countryside. It was very sunny and relaxing.

A carriage was waiting for them. A man and a woman got out of the carriage. They walked to Weeden Scott. When the woman tried to hug Weeden Scott, White Fang did not understand. He thought the woman was trying to hurt his master. He began to growl and show his teeth. "It's all right, Mother," said Weeden Scott. "He thought you wanted to harm me. He wanted to protect me. He will learn who you are very soon." Then he said to White Fang in a loud strong voice, "Down! Down!" White Fang lay on the ground. He obeyed his master. The master hugged his mother again.

Weeden Scott and his parents got in the carriage. Then the carriage left the train station. White Fang ran behind the carriage. Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at a large, beautiful stone gate. Behind the gate, there was a garden with a huge area of grass. Behind the grass was a large house. The house was extremely beautiful. It was very tall and had many windows. Because this was the countryside, there were fields behind the house. Few other houses were nearby.

White Fang did not look at these things for long. As soon as he arrived, another dog suddenly attacked him as he was looking at the house. It was a sheepdog (a large dog traditionally used by sheep farmers to help control their sheep), and she was angry to see another dog at her house. The dog was female. Therefore, White Fang refused to fight with her. He never fought with female dogs. White Fang tried to avoid her, but the sheepdog was angry. She knew that White Fang was a wolf. Therefore, she wanted to attack him. She kept running to him and biting him, but he did nothing. This continued for a few moments. Finally, the man in the carriage called to her. "Here, Collie!" he shouted.

Weeden Scott laughed. "It's okay, Father," he said. "He'll get used to it."

The carriage started to move. It was going to the house. White Fang tried to run after it, but Collie blocked his way. Then, he ran quickly to the side to get away from her. She followed closely, but White Fang was too fast. White Fang then ran to the house. The carriage had stopped, and Weeden Scott stepped out. White Fang was running very quickly to his master. Then, suddenly, another dog hit him. It was a hound (A hound is a bird-hunting dog originally from Britain). Because White Fang was running so fast, the hound made White Fang fall. White Fang was extremely angry. When he got up, he prepared to attack the hound. He growled a frightening growl. He showed his teeth.

Weeden Scott saw this. He knew that White Fang could easily kill the hound, so he ran to the dogs. It was actually Collie, however, that saved the hound from White Fang. Just when White Fang was about to attack (and probably kill) the hound, Collie attacked White Fang. Again, White Fang fell. At that time, Weeden Scott arrived. He held White Fang, and his father took the other dogs away.

Then, the carriage left the house. Some other strange people came out of the house. Two women walked to Weeden Scott. They, too, hugged Weeden Scott. This time, however, White Fang accepted it. Some of the people called to White Fang. He was frightened and growled at them. However, the master touched White Fang's head to calm him.

Everyone then went inside the house. They took White Fang inside the house with them. When he entered the house, he looked around carefully for danger. When he felt safe, he lay by his master. He was at his new home.

(end of section)