London begins this chapter by stating that the "dominant primordial beast was strong in Buck," meaning that the primitive will to survive was now the primary factor in Buck's life. Thus, the entire chapter is constructed to show Buck's will and determination to survive. Buck's survival instinct will be climaxed at the end of this chapter in a dramatic fight-to-the-death scene between Buck and his archrival, Spitz. Just as the chapter begins with an emphasis on "the dominant primordial beast," it ends with the same words, emphasizing the central concern of the chapter: the survival of the fittest.
At the beginning of the chapter, Buck has been avoiding fights whenever possible, but there still exists a bitter hatred between him and Spitz, and if we review Chapter 1, where Buck had his first encounter with the Spitzbergen (Spitz, in shortened form), we will remember that Spitz is the dog that first stole Buck's food. Furthermore, at the beginning of Chapter 2, Spitz is the dog who watched with pleasure when Curly was killed. And now, in this chapter, Spitz is the leader of the dogsled team, which arouses Buck's jealousy. Buck was accustomed to being the head dog at Judge Miller's estate, and now he has to take a subordinate position, and it is insulting to his pride. An ultimate confrontation between Buck and Spitz seems inevitable, and in this chapter, we are first given a short, but vicious encounter between Buck and Spitz, when Buck returns to his nest to find Spitz occupying his sleeping hole. This arouses the "beast" in Buck, and he springs upon Spitz "with a fury which surprised them both." There probably would have been a fearful, bloody fight at that time if it had not been for François and Perrault, who quickly surmise the situation and put an end to the fight. At the same time, however, the fight between the two dogs is delayed by the sudden appearance of "four or five score of starving huskies" who invade the camp. These starving huskies ignore the clubs which flail them, and they attempt to consume all of the food supplies.
