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The Call of the Wild

Chapter 5

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Thornton stood between him and Buck and evinced no intention of getting out of the way. Hal drew his long hunting knife. Mercedes screamed, cried, laughed, and manifested the chaotic abandonment of hysteria. Thornton rapped Hal's knuckles with the axe-handle, knocking the knife to the ground. He rapped his knuckles again as he tried to pick it up. Then he stooped, picked it up himself, and with two strokes cut Buck's traces.

Hal had no fight left in him. Besides, his hands were full with his sister, or his arms, rather; while Buck was too near dead to be of further use in hauling the sled. A few minutes later they pulled out from the bank and down the river. Buck heard them go and raised his head to see. Pike was leading, Sol-leks was at the wheel, and between were Joe and Teek. They were limping and staggering. Mercedes was riding the loaded sled. Hal guided at the gee-pole, and Charles stumbled along in the rear.

As Buck watched them, Thornton knelt beside him and with rough, kindly hands searched for broken bones. By the time his search had disclosed nothing more than many bruises and a state of terrible starvation, the sled was a quarter of a mile away. Dog and man watched it crawling along over the ice. Suddenly, they saw its back end drop down, as into a rut, and the gee-pole, with Hal clinging to it, jerk into the air. Mercedes' scream came to their ears. They saw Charles turn one step to run back, and then a whole section of ice give way and dogs and humans disappear. A yawning hole was all that was to be seen. The bottom had dropped out of the trail. Literary Device

"You poor devil," said John Thornton and Buck licked his hand.Stop and Think!

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Stop and Think!

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Summarize

Reading Strategy

Choose the best summary, the one that captures the most important ideas in the chapter. Click on the coaches for help.


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MontyHaliPedro

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Summarize

Reading Strategy

Create your own summary. Use the Key Points list below or use the Text Help toolbar to highlight and collect key points you choose from the text. Then write a summary in your own words. You could also try sketching your summary.

Key Points

1. Buck arrives at Skaguay worn down.

2. Hal, Charles, and Mercedes buy Buck and the sled-dogs.

3. The team faces trouble during their travels.

4. Buck refuses to follow Hal's orders and gets punished.

5. Thornton protects Buck from Hal's beating.

6. The rest of the team dies, but Buck is saved.

Text help toolbar

Or use the Text Help toolbar above to highlight and collect the key events you want to use. Paste your notes into a word processor and write, sketch, or share your summary by email.


Click on the Coaches for help. To check your summary, compare with the coaches.

MontyHaliPedro


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Choose Strategy

Reading Strategy

Choose one of the strategies you've practiced here—visualize, summarize, predict, or question. Pick one that works well for you and is suited to the passage.

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Use the Text Help toolbar located above to highlight and collect the words and phrases. Paste them into your word processor and write, sketch, or discuss your response.


Click on the Coaches for help.

MontyHali

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Check Your Work

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Monty's Thoughts

In my summary, I focused on key details that would be representative of the whole story and was sure to include the important ending that would change Buck's life.

MontyListen


Monty's Response

When the they reach Skaguay, the dogs are completely worn down, but they are immediately sold to Hal, Charles, and Mercedes who push them to continue. John Thornton saves Buck when he is being beaten, and warns the team not to go on, but Hal and Charles are stubborn and refuse to listen. They drive the dogs across thin ice, and fall through to their deaths.

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Hali's Thoughts

Sometimes when I summarize I use the text, other times I like to use the images to help me remember the high points of the chapter.

HaliListen


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PedroListen


Pedro's Self Check

To check your summary, ask yourself if your summary—

Captures the main ideas and key information.

Has the right amount of detail (not too much, not too little).

Combines several ideas or facts into one statement.

Paraphrases, or explains in your own words.

Includes information from text and images.

Close Window

Monty's Thoughts

In my summary, I focused on key details that would be representative of the whole story and was sure to include the important ending that would change Buck's life.

MontyListen


Close Window

Hali's Thoughts

Sometimes when I summarize I use the text, other times I like to use the images to help me remember the high points of the chapter.

HaliListen


Close Window
PedroListen


Pedro's Self Check

To check your summary, ask yourself if your summary—

Captures the main ideas and key information.

Has the right amount of detail (not too much, not too little).

Combines several ideas or facts into one statement.

Paraphrases, or explains in your own words.

Includes information from text and images.

Close Window

Monty's Thoughts

When I approach the end of a chapter, I like to summarize. This helps me review what I know so far about the story and what questions I might have to discuss with a friend or teacher.

MontyListen


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Hali's Thoughts

One of my favorite reading strategies is visualizing. Sometimes I close my eyes and imagine the story, other times I like to draw what I am seeing. Once I took photographs and made a short movie with them. It really made the story come alive.

HaliListen