Buck, a huge four-year-old Scottish Shepherd-Saint Bernard cross-breed, lived a life of ease at Judge Miller's Santa Clara Valley estate. As the judge's loyal companion, working with his sons, and guarding his grandchildren, Buck ruled over all things - humans included. Combining his mother's intelligence with the size and strength of his father, Buck became the undisputed leader of all the dogs on the estate. At this time, gold had been found in Alaska, and …
showed first 75 words of 1626 total

showed last 75 words of 1626 total
…their leader. Even now, the Yeehats often speak of an evil Ghost-dog that inhabits the land, running at the head of the pack, killing any man it comes across. They tell the story of how the phantom selected a certain valley for an abiding place. All still bypass that valley. Buck occasionally returns, alone, to the goldspeckled river, where he reflects on times past, howls long and mournfully, then steals back into the forest shadows.