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John Thornton, a gold hunter who is Buck's final master until he is killed by the Yeehats. After they kill John Thornton, Buck attacks them, and eternally "dogs" them after going wild—assuring they never re-enter the valley where his last master was murdered.
Similarly, you may ask, does Thornton die in Call of the Wild?
At the end of Call of the Wild, Thornton is killed by the Yeehat tribe, and Buck gets a heaping helping of revenge on the people that murder his master. But there's a silver lining—Buck's now free to run with the wild dog packsbut only on the condition that he is leader, natch.
Just so, does Buck die at the end of Call of the Wild?
Buck almost dies at the abusive and ignorant hands of Hal, Charles, and Mercedes. The lucky dog is saved by Thornton and develops a love for him. Buck does some impressive things, like pulling obscene amounts of weight. Buck becomes increasingly wild and even kills a bull.
John Thornton is an outdoorsman and a prospector who lives in the Northland with his two friends, Hans and Pete. Thornton has a close connection to the wilderness and to dogs. He has no fear of the wild because he knows how to survive in it. He shows his great capacity for love when he nurtures Buck back to health.