With the money from the bet, Thornton and his partners went east to look for a lost gold mine. Deep in the forest the call sounded in Buck more and more strongly. One night he followed it and met a wild wolf, and they ran side by side for hours like brothers. But Buck remembered Thornton and turned back. After that he disappeared for days and hunted alone. He was a killer now, who lived on what he killed. One day, coming back to the camp, he smelled death. Nig lay dead with an arrow in his side. The Yeehats were dancing around the ruins of the camp. Buck rushed upon them like a storm, and they fled in terror into the forest. At the edge of a pool lay Skeet, faithful to the last, and Thornton's tracks led into the water and did not come out.