Thornton rapped Hal's knuckles with the axe-handle, knocking the knife to the ground. He rapped his knuckles again as he tried to pick it up. Then he stooped, picked it up himself, and with two strokes cut Buck's traces. —The Call of the Wild, Jack London This is a key event in The Call of the Wild. What happens after this event? Buck refuses to obey Hal’s orders. Buck becomes Thornton’s companion. Charles, Hal, and Mercedes treat Buck badly. Thornton rests his cheek on Buck’s.