animal heroes-第25节

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irritation　of　the　cage　was　wearing　off；　and　by　the　time　I　had　lit
my　third　cigar；　he　waddled　out　to　the　fire　and　lay　down；　not
ignoring　me；　however；　I　had　no　reason　to　complain　of　that　kind　of
contempt。　He　kept　one　eye　on　me；　and　I　kept　both　eyes；　not　on
him；　but　on　his　stumpy　tail。　If　that　tail　should　swing　sidewise
once　I　should　feel　I　was　winning；　but　it　did　not　swing。　I　got　a
book　and　put　in　time　on　that　table　till　my　legs　were　cramped　and
the　fire　burned　low。　About　10　P。M。　it　was　chilly；　and　at
half…past　ten　the　fire　was　out。　My　Hallowe'en　present　got　up；
yawned　and　stretched；　then　walked　under　my　bed；　where　he　found　a
fur　rug。　By　stepping　lightly　from　the　table　to　the　dresser；　and
then　on　to　the　mantel…shelf；　I　also　reached　bed；　and；　very
quietly　undressing；　got　in　without　provoking　any　criticism　from
my　master。　I　had　not　yet　fallen　asleep　when　I　heard　a　slight
scrambling　and　felt　〃thump…thump〃　on　the　bed；　then　over　my　feet
and　legs；　Snap　evidently　had　found　it　too　cool　down　below；　and
proposed　to　have　the　best　my　house　afforded。

He　curled　up　on　my　feet　in　such　a　way　that　I　was　very
uncomfortable　and　tried　to　readjust　matters；　but　the　slightest
wriggle　of　my　toe　was　enough　to　make　him　snap　at　it　so　fiercely
that　nothing　but　thick　woollen　bedclothes　saved　me　from　being
maimed　for　life。

I　was　an　hour　moving　my　feeta　hair's…breadth　at　a　timetill
they　were　so　that　I　could　sleep　in　comfort；　and　I　was　awakened
several　times　during　the　night　by　angry　snarls　from　the　DogI
suppose　because　I　dared　to　move　a　toe　without　his　approval；
though　once　I　believe　he　did　it　simply　because　I　was　snoring。

In　the　morning　I　was　ready　to　get　up　before　Snap　was。　You　see；　I
call　him　　　Snap…Ginger…snap　in　full。　Some　Dogs　are　hard　to　name；
and　some　do　not　seem　to　need　itthey　name　themselves。

I　was　ready　to　rise　at　seven。　Snap　was　not　ready　till　eight；　so
we　rose　at　eight。　He　had　little　to　say　to　the　man　who　made　the
fire。　He　allowed　me　to　dress　without　doing　it　on　the　table。　As　I
left　the　room　to　get　breakfast；　I　remarked：

〃Snap；　my　friend；　some　men　would　whip　you　into　a　different　way；
but　I　think　I　know　a　better　plan。　The　doctors　nowadays　favor　the
'no…breakfast　cure。'　I　shall　try　that。〃

It　seemed　cruel；　but　I　left　him　without　food　all　day。　It　cost　me
something　to　repaint　the　door　where　he　scratched　it；　but　at　night
he　was　quite　ready　to　accept　a　little　food　at　my　hands。

In　a　week　we　were　very　good　friends。　He　would　sleep　on　my　bed　now
and　allow　me　to　move　my　feet　without　snapping　at　them；　intent　to
do　me　serious　bodily　harm。　The　no…breakfast　cure　had　worked
wonders；　in　three　months　we　werewell；　simply　man　and　Dog；　and
he　amply　justified　the　telegram　he　came　with。

He　seemed　to　be　without　fear。　If　a　small　Dog　came　near；　he　would
take　not　the　slightest　notice；　if　a　medium…sized　Dog；　he　would
stick　his　stub　of　a　tail　rigidly　up　in　the　air；　then　walk　around
him；　scratching　contemptuously　with　his　hind　feet；　and　looking　at
the　sky；　the　distance；　the　ground；　anything　but　the　Dog；　and
noting　his　presence　only　by　frequent　high…pitched　growls。　If　the
stranger　did　not　move　on　at　once；　the　battle　began；　and　then　the
stranger　usually　moved　on　very　rapidly。　Snap　sometimes　got
worsted；　but　no　amount　of　sad　experience　could　ever　inspire　him
with　a　grain　of　caution。　Once；　while　riding　in　a　cab　during　the
Dog　Show；　Snap　caught　sight　of　an　elephantine　St。　Bernard　taking
an　airing。　Its　size　aroused　such　enthusiasm　in　the　Pup's　little
breast　that　he　leaped　from　the　cab　window　to　do　battle；　and　broke
his　leg。

Evidently　fear　had　been　left　out　of　his　make…up　and　its　place
supplied　with　an　extra　amount　of　ginger；　which　was　the　reason　of
his　full　name。　He　differed　from　all　other　Dogs　I　have　ever　known。
For　example；　if　a　boy　threw　a　stone　at　him；　he　ran；　not　away；　but
toward　the　boy；　and　if　the　crime　was　repeated；　Snap　took　the　law
into　his　own　hands；　thus　he　was　at　least　respected　by　all。　Only
myself　and　the　porter　at　the　office　seemed　to　realize　his　good
points；　and　we　only　were　admitted　to　the　high　honor　of　personal
friendship；　an　honor　which　I　appreciated　more　as　months　went　on；
and　by　midsummer　not　Carnegie；　Vanderbilt；　and　Astor　together
could　have　raised　money　enough　to　buy　a　quarter　of　a　share　in　my
little　Dog　Snap。


II

Though　not　a　regular　traveller；　I　was　ordered　out　on　the　road　in
the　autumn；　and　then　Snap　and　the　landlady　were　left　together；
with　unfortunate　developments。　Contempt　on　his　partfear　on
hers；　and　hate　on　both。

I　was　placing　a　lot　of　barb…wire　in　the　northern　tier　of　States。
My　letters　were　forwarded　once　a　week；　and　I　got　several
complaints　from　the　landlady　about　Snap。

Arrived　at　Mendoza；　in　North　Dakota；　I　found　a　fine　market　for
wire。　Of　course　my　dealings　were　with　the　big　storekeepers；　but　I
went　about　among　the　ranchmen　to　get　their　practical　views　on　the
different　styles；　and　thus　I　met　the　Penroof　Brothers'
Cow…outfit。

One　cannot　be　long　in　Cow　country　now　without　hearing　a　great
deal　about　the　depredations　of　the　ever　wily　and　destructive
Gray…wolf。　The　day　has　gone　by　when　they　can　be　poisoned
wholesale；　and　they　are　a　serious　drain　on　the　rancher's　profits。
The　Penroof　Brothers；　like　most　live　cattle…men；　had　given　up　all
attempts　at　poisoning　and　trapping；　and　were　trying　various
breeds　of　Dogs　as　Wolf…hunters；　hoping　to　get　a　little　sport　out
of　the　necessary　work　of　destroying　the　pests。

Foxhounds　had　failedthey　were　too　soft　for　fighting；　Great
Danes　were　too　clumsy；　and　Greyhounds　could　not　follow　the　game
unless　they　could　see　it。　Each　breed　had　some　fatal　defect；　but
the　cow…men　hoped　to　succeed　with　a　mixed　pack；　and　the　day　when
I　was　invited　to　join　in　a　Mendoza　Wolf…hunt；　I　was　amused　by　the
variety　of　Dogs　that　followed。　There　were　several　mongrels；　but
there　were　also　a　few　highly　bred　Dogsin　particular；　some
Russian　Wolfhounds　that　must　have　cost　a　lot　of　money。

Hilton　Penroof；　the　oldest　boy；　〃The　Master　of　Hounds；〃　was
unusually　proud　of　them；　and　expected　them　to　do　great　things。

〃Greyhounds　are　too　thin…skinned　to　fight　a　Wolf；　Danes　are　too
slow；　but　you'll　see　the　fur　fly　when　the　Russians　take　a　hand。〃

Thus　the　Greyhounds　were　there　as　runners；　the　Danes　as　heavy
backers；　and　the　Russians　to　do　the　important　fighting。　There
were　also　two　or　three　Foxhounds；　whose　fine　noses　were　relied　on
to　follow　the　trail　if　the　game　got　out　of　view。

It　was　a　fine　sight　as　we　rode　away　among　the　Badland　Buttes　that
October　day。　The　air　was　bright　and　crisp；　and　though　so　late；
there　was　neither　snow　nor　frost。　The　Horses　were　fresh；　and　once
or　twice　showed　me　how　a　Cow…pony　tries　to　get　rid　of　his　rider。

The　Dogs　were　keen　for　sport；　and　we　did　start　one　or　two　gray
spots　in　the　plain　that　Hilton　said　were　Wolves　or　Coyotes。　The
Dogs　trailed　away　at　full　cry；　but　at　night；　beyond　the　fact　that
one　of　the　Greyhounds　had　a　wound　on　his　shoulder；　there　was
nothing　to　show　that　any　of　them　had　been　on　a　Wolf…hunt。

It's　my　opinion　yer　fancy　Russians　is　no　good；　Hilt；〃　said
Garvin；　the　younger　brother。　〃I'll　back　that　little　black　Dane
against　the　lot；　mongrel　an'　all　as　he　is。〃

〃I　don't　unnerstan'　it；〃　growled　Hilton。　〃There　ain't　a　Coyote；
let　alone　a　Gray…wolf；　kin　run　away　from　them　Greyhounds；　them
Foxhounds　kin　folly　a　trail　three　days　old；　an'　the　Danes　could
lick　a　Grizzly。〃

〃I　reckon；〃　said　the　father；　〃they　kin　run；　an'　they　kin　track；
an'　they　kin　lick　a　Grizzly；　maybe；　but　the　fac'　is　they　don't
want　to　tackle　a　Gray…wolf。　The　hull　darn　pack　is　scairtan'　I
wish　we　had　our　money　out　o'　them。〃

Thus　the　men　grumbled　and　discussed　as　I　drove　away　and　left
them。

There　seemed　only　one　solution　of　the　failure。　The　Hounds　were
swift　and　strong；　but　a　Gray…wolf　seems　to　terrorize　all　Dogs。
They　have　not　the　nerve　to　face　him；　and　so；　each　time　he　gets
away；　and　my　thoughts　flew　back　to　the　fearless　little　Dog　that
had　shared　my　bed　for　the　last　year。　How　I　wished　he　was　out
here；　then　these　lubberly　giants　of　Hounds　would　find　a　leader
whose　nerve　would　not　fail　at　the　moment　of　trial。

At　Baroka；　my　next　stop；　I　got　a　batch　of　mail　including　two
letters　from　the　landlady；　the　first　to　say　that　〃that　beast　of　a
Dog　was　acting　up　scandalous　in　my　room；〃　and　the　other　still
more　forcible；　demanding　his　immediate　removal。
〃Why　not　have　him　expressed　to　Mendoza？〃　I　thought。　〃It's　only
twenty　hours；　they'll　be　glad　to　have　him。　I　can　take　him　home
with　me　when　I　go　through。〃


III

My　next　meeting　with　Gingersnap　was　not　as　different　from　the
first　as　one　might　have　expected。　He　jumped　on　me；　made　much
vigorous　pretense　to　bite；　and　growled　frequently；　but　it　was　a
deep…chested　growl　and　his　stump　waggled　hard。

The　Penroofs　had　had　a　number　of　Wolf…hunts　since　I　was　with
them；　and　were　much　disgusted　at　having　no　better　success　than
before。　The　Dogs　could　find　a　Wolf　nearly　every　time　they　went
out；　but　they　could　not　kill　him；　and　the　men　were　not　near
enough　at　the　finish　to　learn　why。

Old　Penroof　was　satisfied　that　〃thar　wasn't　one　of　the　hull
miserable　gang　that　had　the　grit　of　a　Jack…rabbit。〃

We　were　off　at　dawn　the　next　daythe　same