London lets us know that the few white men who lived permanently in Fort Yukon were known as "Sour-doughs" because of their using sour dough starter to make their own bread, and they look down on the newcomers who bring baking powder with them. These older men who look down on the new men are also obviously delighted with the way that White Fang dominates the dogs of the new arrivals.
One of these men is nicknamed "Beauty" Smith — actually he is "preeminently ugly" and, in fact, he is, in London's words, a "monstrosity." In addition, his outer nature is symbolic of his inner nature, probably because he is "the weakest of the weak-kneed and snivelling cowards." Unfortunately, however, as soon as Beauty Smith develops a liking for White Fang, particularly because of the dog's ability to fight in a savage manner, he is determined to purchase him. At this same time, White Fang develops an instinctive hatred for Beauty Smith.
Beauty Smith offers to buy the dog, but because Gray Beaver has made such a huge profit from his sales, he refuses — at first — to sell White Fang. "But Beauty Smith knew the ways of Indians," says London, and so Smith often takes bottles of whiskey to Gray Beaver's camp. Here, London is using a basic cliché about the Indians' drinking proclivities, a cliché which has, unfortunately, become commonplace today. At any rate, Gray Beaver soon becomes addicted to alcohol, and he squanders his entire profits upon whiskey. Now Beauty Smith is able to buy White Fang in exchange for whiskey.
The first time that White Fang is taken to Beauty Smith's house, he chews through the leather thong around his neck and returns to Gray Beaver. He escapes again, and again he resists being taken back to Smith's house, but he is beaten so brutally that he can hardly walk. Finally, after White Fang escapes a third time, Beauty Smith retrieves him and beats him so severely that an ordinary dog from the Southland would have died from such brutality. Then White Fang is securely chained, and soon afterward Gray Beaver departs from Fort Yukon, leaving White Fang as the sole property of Beauty Smith.
