bruce-第9节
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along with his fist； in an instinctive kick。 The kick did not
reach Bruce。 But it landed； full and effectively； on the
accelerator。
The powerful car responded to the touch with a bound。 And it did
so at the very moment that the flash of white teeth at his throat
made Halding snatch his own left hand instinctively from the
steering…wheel； in order to guard the threatened spot。
A second later the runabout crashed at full speed into the wall
of a house on the narrow street's opposite side。
The rest was chaos。
When a crowd of idlers and a policeman at last righted the
wrecked car； two bodies were found huddled inertly amid a junk…
heap of splintered glass and shivered wood and twisted metal。 The
local ambulance carried away one of these limp bodies。 The
Place's car rushed the smash…up's other senseless victim to the
office of the nearest veterinary。 Dr。 Halding； with a shattered
shoulder…blade and a fractured nose and jaw and a mild case of
brain…concussion；was received as a guest of honor at the
village hospital。
Bruce； his left foreleg broken and a nasty assortment of glass…
cuts marring the fluffiness of his fur； was skillfully patched up
by the vet' and carried back that night to The Place。
The puppy had suddenly taken on a new value in his owners' eyes
partly for his gallantly puny effort at defending the Mistress；
partly because of his pitiful condition。 And he was nursed； right
zealously； back to life and health。
In a few weeks； the plaster cast on the convalescent's broken
foreleg had been replaced by a bandage。 In another week or two
the vet' pronounced Bruce as well as ever。 The dog； through
habit； still held the mended foreleg off the ground； even after
the bandage was removed。 Whereat； the Master tied a bandage
tightly about the uninjured foreleg。
Bruce at once decided that this； and not the other； was the lame
leg； and he began forthwith to limp on it。 As it was manifestly
impossible to keep both forelegs off the ground at the same time
when he was walking； he was forced to make use of the once…broken
leg。 Finding； to his amaze； that he could walk on it with perfect
ease； he devoted his limping solely to the well leg。 And as soon
as the Master took the bandage from that； Bruce ceased to limp at
all。
Meanwhile； a lawyer； whose name sounded as though it had been
culled from a Rhine Wine list； had begun suit； in Dr。 Halding's
name； against the Mistress； as a 〃contributory cause〃 of his
client's accident。 The suit never came to trial。 It was dropped；
indeed； with much haste。 Not from any change of heart on the
plaintiff's behalf； but because； at that juncture； Dr。 Halding
chanced to be arrested and interned as a dangerous Enemy Alien。
Our country had recently declared war on Germany； and the belated
spy…hunt was up。
During the Federal officers' search of the doctor's house； for
treasonable documents （of which they found an ample supply）； they
came upon his laboratory。 No fewer than five dogs； in varying
stages of hideous torture； were found strapped to tables or
hanging to wall…hooks。 The vivisector bewailed； loudly and
gutturally； this cruel interruption to his researches in
Science's behalf。
One day； two months after the accident； Bruce stood on all four
feet once more； with no vestige left of scars or of lameness。 And
then； for the first time； a steady change that had been so slow
as to escape any one's notice dawned upon the Mistress and the
Master。 It struck them both at the same moment。 And they stared
dully at their pet。
The shapeless； bumptious； foolish Pest of two months ago had
vanished。 In his place； by a very normal process of nature…magic；
stood a magnificently stately thoroughbred collie。
The big head had tapered symmetrically； and had lost its puppy
formlessness。 It was now a head worthy of Landseer's own pencil。
The bonily awkward body had lengthened and had lost its myriad
knobs and angles。 It had grown massively graceful。
The former thatch of half…curly and indeterminately yellowish
fuzz had changed to a rough tawny coat； wavy and unbelievably
heavy； stippled at the ends with glossy black。 There was a
strange depth and repose and Soul in the dark eyesyes； and a
keen intelligence； too。
It was the old story of the Ugly Duckling； all over again。
〃Why！〃 gasped the Mistress。 〃He'she's BEAUTIFUL！ And I never
knew it。〃
At her loved voice the great dog moved across to where she sat。
Lightly he laid one little white paw on her knee and looked
gravely up into her eyes。
〃He's got sense； too；〃 chimed in the Master。 〃Look at those eyes；
if you doubt it。 They're alive with intelligence。 It'sit's a
miracle！ He can't be the same worthless whelp I wanted to get rid
of！ He CAN'T！〃
And he was not。 The long illness； at the most formative time of
the dog's growth； had done its work in developing what； all the
time； had lain latent。 The same illnessand the long…enforced
personal touch with humanshad done an equally transforming work
on the puppy's undeveloped mind。 The Thackeray…Washington…
Lincoln…Bismarck simile had held good。
What looked like a miracle was no more than the same beautifully
simple process which Nature enacts every day； when she changes an
awkward and dirt…colored cygnet into a glorious swan or a leggily
gawky colt into a superb Derby…winner。 But Bruce's metamorphosis
seemed none the less wonderful in the eyes of the two people who
had learned to love him。
Somewhere in the hideous wreck of Dr。 Halding's motorcar the dog
had found a souland the rest had followed as a natural course
of growth。
At the autumn dog…show； in Hampton； a 〃dark…sable…and…white〃
collie of unwonted size and beauty walked proudly into the ring
close to the Mistress's side； when the puppy class was calleda
class that includes all dogs under twelve months old。 Six minutes
later the Mistress was gleesomely accepting the first…prize blue
ribbon； for 〃best puppy；〃 from Judge Symonds' own gnarled hand。
Then came the other classes for collies〃Novice；〃 〃Open；〃
〃Limit；〃 〃Local；〃 〃American Bred。〃 And as Bruce paced
majestically out of the ring at last； he was the possessor of
five more blue ribbonsas well as the blue Winner's rosette； for
〃best collie in the show。〃
〃Great dog you've got there； madam！〃 commented Symonds in solemn
approval as he handed the Winner's rosette to the Mistress。 〃Fine
dog in every way。 Fine promise。 He will go far。 One of the best
types I've〃
〃Do you really think so？〃 sweetly replied the Mistress。 〃Why； one
of the foremost collie judges in America has gone on record as
calling him a 'measly St。 Bernard monstrosity。'〃
〃No？〃 snorted Symonds； incredulous。 〃You don't say so！ A judge
who would speak so； of that dog； doesn't understand his business。
He〃
〃Oh； yes； he does！〃 contradicted the Mistress； glancing lovingly
at her handful of blue ribbons。 〃I think he understands his
business very well indeedNOW！〃
CHAPTER III。 The War Dog
The guest had decided to wait until next morning； before leaving
The Place； instead of following his first plan of taking a night
train to New York。 He was a captain in our regular army and had
newly come back from France to forget an assortment of shrapnel
bites and to teach practical tactics to rookies。
He reached his decision to remain over night at The Place while
he and the Mistress and the Master were sitting on the vine…hung
west veranda after dinner； watching the flood of sunset change
the lake to molten gold and the sky to pink fire。 It would be
pleasant to steal another few hours at this back…country House of
Peace before returning to the humdrum duties of camp。 And the
guest yielded to the temptation。
〃I'm mighty glad you can stay over till morning；〃 said the
Master。 〃I'll send word to Roberts not to bring up the car。〃
As he spoke； he scrawled a penciled line on an envelope…back；
then he whistled。
From a cool lounging…place beneath the wistaria…vines arose a
huge colliestately of form； dark brown and white of coat； deep…
set of eye and with a head that somehow reminded one of a
Landseer engraving。 The collie trotted up the steps of the
veranda and stood expectant before the Master。 The latter had
been folding the envelope lengthwise。 Now he slipped it through
the ring in the dog's collar。
〃Give it to Roberts；〃 he said。
The big collie turned and set off at a hand…gallop。
〃Good！〃 approved the guest。 〃Bruce didn't seem to be in any doubt
as to what you wanted him to do。 He knows where Roberts is likely
to be？〃
〃No；〃 said the Master。 〃But he can track him and find him； if
Roberts is anywhere within a mile or so from here。 That was one
of the first things we taught himto carry messages。 All we do
is to slip the paper into his collar…ring and tell him the name
of the person to take it to。 Natur
