It is at this point that White Fang is confronted with his most difficult lesson. Gray Beaver owes a debt to another Indian — Three Eagles — and in order to settle the debt, Gray Beaver gives Kiche to him. When Three Eagles leaves in his canoe, along with Kiche, White Fang tries to follow, swimming after the canoe, in spite of the fact that Gray Beaver sternly commands him to return to camp. It is unpardonable not to obey the commands of the man-gods, and White Fang learns this lesson when Gray Beaver gets into his canoe and pursues White Fang downriver, picking him up, and giving him one fierce blow after another — until White Fang lies almost unconscious, limp in the bottom of the canoe. Then Gray Beaver kicks White Fang out of his way. In retaliation, White Fang bites Gray Beaver, and White Fang learns a lesson that he never forgets. As a result of his biting Gray Beaver, White Fang receives a very severe beating from Gray Beaver and never again, regardless of the circumstances, does he bite "the god who was lord and master over him."
Lip-lip, seeing White Fang in such a weakened condition, takes advantage of this opportunity to attack him, and White Fang, of course, is too weak to defend himself and would have been destroyed by Lip-lip if Gray Beaver had not been there to defend White Fang. Thus, White Fang learns another lesson — that is, his lord and master is also his protector.
Now that White Fang is totally alone — without his mother's protection — Lip-lip uses this opportunity to encourage the other dogs to become constant and fierce enemies of White Fang. As a result, White Fang becomes a total outcast. From this constant persecution of the entire pack, White Fang learns two important things: (1) how to defend himself against a mass attack by other dogs; and (2) how to inflict the greatest amount of damage upon another dog in the shortest length of time. In London's emphasis upon White Fang's being the total outcast, he is preparing us for White Fang's later, alienation from all living beings, particularly in his later relationship with Beauty Smith, so that White Fang's final transformation into a civilized animal under the care of Weedon Scott will be as dramatic as possible.
At present, throughout this part of the novel, the emphasis will continue to be on White Fang as a single entity, pitted against a hostile universe, comprised of both man and animal.
