Chapter 7 / Call of the Wild

After hearing the call of the wild, Buck leaves the safety of John Thorton's camp and goes in search of its origin. His initial meeting with the timber wolf is tentative, but after several meeting Buck and the wolf understand that neither is dangerous..... just curious. Buck enjoys his time running free, but thoughts of John bring him back to the camp, although he soon grows restless once again. Buck learns to give in to the hunt and the desire to run free, his instincts take over, and the urge to kill grows stronger each day. During one of his forays, Buck returns to find John Thorton and the rest of the camp dead, massacred by natives. He attacks the Yeehat, grieves, and then makes his final journey away from the camp. He is entering the wild and a new life, where he proves himself to the pack and is accepted as one of them. Each year he returns and remembers the life he once lived.... only to turn and go back to the pack.