While he was fighting off two or three, it was disappearing down the throats of the others.

To remedy this, he ate as fast as they; and, so greatly did hunger compel him, he was not above taking what did not belong to him.

He watched and learned.

When he saw Pike, one of the new dogs, a clever malingerer and thief, slyly steal a slice of bacon when Perrault's back was turned, he duplicated the performance the following day, getting away with the whole chunk.

A great uproar was raised, but he was unsuspected; while Dub, an awkward blunderer who was always getting caught, was punished for Buck's misdeed.
This first theft marked Buck as fit to survive in the hostile Northland environment.