animal heroes-第7节

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extra　fifteen　cents　for　〃the　idea。〃

〃That's　all　right。　I'll　stand　it。〃


XII

〃M…e…a…t！　M…e…a…t！〃　is　heard　the　magnetic；　cat…conjuring　cry　of
the　old　liver…man；　as　his　barrow　is　pushed　up　the　glorified
Scrimper's　Alley；　and　Cats　come　crowding；　as　of　yore；　to　receive
their　due。

There　are　Cats　black；　white；　yellow；　and　gray　to　be　remembered；
and；　above　all；　there　are　owners　to　be　remembered。　As　the　barrow
rounds　the　corner　near　the　new　building　it　makes　a　newly
scheduled　stop。

〃Hyar；　you；　get　out　o'　the　road；　you　common　trash；〃　cries　the
liver…man；　and　he　waves　his　wand　to　make　way　for　the　little　gray
Cat　with　blue　eyes　and　white　nose。　She　receives　an　unusually
large　portion；　for　Sam　is　wisely　dividing　the　returns　evenly；　and
Slum　Kitty　retreats　with　her　'daily'　into　shelter　of　the　great
building；　to　which　she　is　regularly　attached。　She　has　entered
into　her　fourth　life　with　prospects　of　happiness　never　before
dreamed　of。　Everything　was　against　her　at　first；　now　everything
seems　to　be　coming　her　way。　It　is　very　doubtful　that　her　mind　was
broadened　by　travel；　but　she　knew　what　she　wanted　and　she　got　it。
She　has　achieved　her　long…time　great　ambition　by　catching；　not　a
Sparrow；　but　two　of　them；　while　they　were　clinched　in　mortal
combat　in　the　gutter。

There　is　no　reason　to　suppose　that　she　ever　caught　another　Rat；
but　the　negro　secures　a　dead　one　when　he　can；　for　purposes　of
exhibition；　lest　her　pension　be　imperilled。　The　dead　one　is　left
in　the　hall　till　the　proprietor　comes；　then　it　is　apologetically
swept　away。　〃Well；　drat　dat　Cat；　sah；　dat　Royal　Ankalostan　blood；
sah；　is　terrors　on　Rats。〃

She　has　had　several　broods　since。　The　negro　thinks　the　Yellow　Tom
is　the　father　of　some　of　them；　and　no　doubt　the　negro　is　right。

He　has　sold　her　a　number　of　times　with　a　perfectly　clear
conscience；　knowing　quite　well　that　it　is　only　a　question　of　a
few　days　before　the　Royal　Analostan　comes　back　again。　Doubtless
he　is　saving　the　money　for　some　honorable　ambition。　She　has
learned　to　tolerate　the　elevator；　and　even　to　ride　up　and　down　on
it。　The　negro　stoutly　maintains　that　once；　when　she　heard　the
meat…man；　while　she　was　on　the　top　floor；　she　managed　to　press
the　button　that　called　the　elevator　to　take　her　down。

She　is　sleek　and　beautiful　again。　She　is　not　only　one　of　the　four
hundred　that　form　the　inner　circle　about　the　liver…barrow；　but
she　is　recognized　as　the　star　pensioner　among　them。　The　liver…man
is　positively　respectful。　Not　even　the　cream…and…chicken　fed　Cat
of　the　pawn…broker's　wife　has　such　a　position　as　the　Royal
Analostan。　But　in　spite　of　her　prosperity；　her　social　position；
her　royal　name　and　fake　pedigree；　the　greatest　pleasure　of　her
life　is　to　slip　out　and　go　a…slumming　in　the　gloaming；　for　now；
as　in　her　previous　lives；　she　is　at　heart；　and　likely　to　be；
nothing　but　a　dirty　little　Slum　Cat。



ARNAUX


THE　CHRONICLE　OF　A　HOMING　PIGEON

We　passed　through　the　side　door　of　a　big　stable　on　West
Nineteenth　Street。　The　mild　smell　of　the　well…kept　stalls　was
lost　in　the　sweet　odor　of　hay；　as　we　mounted　a　ladder　and　entered
the　long　garret。　The　south　end　was　walled　off；　and　the　familiar
〃Coo…oo；　cooooo…oo；　ruk…at…a…coo；〃　varied　with　the　〃whirr；　whirr；
whirr〃　of　wings；　informed　us　that　we　were　at　the　　pigeon…loft。

This　was　the　home　of　a　famous　lot　of　birds；　and　to…day　there　was
to　be　a　race　among　fifty　of　the　youngsters。　The　owner　of　the　loft
had　asked　me；　as　an　unprejudiced　outsider；　to　be　judge　in　the
contest。

It　was　a　training　race　of　the　young　birds。　They　had　been　taken
out　for　short　distances　with　their　parents　once　or　twice；　then
set　free　to　return　to　the　loft。　Now　for　the　first　time　they　were
to　be　flown　without　the　old　ones。　The　point　of　start；　Elizabeth；
N。　J。；　was　a　long　journey　for　their　first　unaided　attempt。　〃But
then；〃　the　trainer　remarked；　〃that's　how　we　weed　out　the　fools；
only　the　best　birds　make　it；　and　that's　all　we　want　back。〃

There　was　another　side　to　the　flight。　It　was　to　be　a　race　among
those　that　did　return。　Each　of　the　men　about　the　loft　as　well　as
several　neighboring　fanciers　were　interested　in　one　or　other　of
the　Homers。　They　made　up　a　purse　for　the　winner；　and　on　me　was　to
devolve　the　important　duty　of　deciding　which　should　take　the
stakes。　Not　the　first　bird　back；　but　the　first　bird　into　the
loft；　was　to　win；　for　one　that　returns　to　his　neighborhood
merely；　without　immediately　reporting　at　home；　is　of　little　use
as　a　letter…carrier。

The　Homing　Pigeon　used　to　be　called　the　Carrier　because　it
carried　messages；　but　here　I　found　that　name　restricted　to　the
show　bird；　the　creature　with　absurdly　developed　wattles；　the　one
that　carries　the　messages　is　now　called　the　Homer；　or　Homing
Pigeonthe　bird　that　always　comes　home。　These　Pigeons　are　not　of
any　special　color；　nor　have　they　any　of　the　fancy　adornments　of
the　kind　that　figure　in　Bird　shows。　They　are　not　bred　for　style；
but　for　speed　and　for　their　mental　gifts。　They　must　be　true　to
their　home；　able　to　return　to　it　without　fail。　The　sense　of
direction　is　now　believed　to　be　located　in　the　bony　labyrinth　of
the　ear。　There　is　no　creature　with　finer　sense　of　locality　and
direction　than　a　good　Homer；　and　the　only　visible　proofs　of　it
are　the　great　bulge　on　each　side　of　the　head　over　the　ears；　and
the　superb　wings　that　complete　his　equipment　to　obey　the　noble
impulse　of　home…love。　Now　the　mental　and　physical　equipments　of
the　last　lot　of　young　birds　were　to　be　put　to　test。

Although　there　were　plenty　of　witnesses；　I　thought　it　best　to
close　all　but　one　of　the　pigeon…doors　and　stand　ready　to　shut
that　behind　the　first　arrival。

I　shall　never　forget　the　sensations　of　that　day。　I　had　been
warned：　〃They　start　at　12；　they　should　be　here　at　12：30；　but　look
out；　they　come　like　a　whirlwind。　You　hardly　see　them　till　they're
in。〃

We　were　ranged　along　the　inside　of　the　loft；　each　with　an　eye　to
a　crack　or　a　partly　closed　pigeon…door；　anxiously　scanning　the
southwestern　horizon；　when　one　shouted：　〃Look　outhere　they
come！〃　Like　a　white　cloud　they　burst　into　view；　low　skimming　over
the　city　roofs；　around　a　great　chimney　pile；　and　in　two　seconds
after　first　being　seen　they　were　back。　The　flash　of　white；　the
rush　of　pinions；　were　all　so　sudden；　so　short；　that；　though
preparing；　I　was　unprepared。　I　was　at　the　only　open　door。　A
whistling　arrow　of　blue　shot　in；　lashed　my　face　with　its　pinions；
and　passed。　I　had　hardly　time　to　drop　the　little　door；　as　a　yell
burst　from　the　men；　〃Arnaux！　Arnaux！　I　told　you　he　would。　Oh；
he's　a　darling；　only　three　months　old　and　a　winnerhe's　a　little
darling！〃　and　Arnaux's　owner　danced；　more　for　joy　in　his　bird
than　in　the　purse　he　had　won。

The　men　sat　or　kneeled　and　watched　him　in　positive　reverence　as
he　gulped　a　quantity　of　water；　then　turned　to　the　food…trough。

〃Look　at　that　eye；　those　wings；　and　did　you　ever　see　such　a
breast？　Oh；　but　　　　he's　the　real　grit！〃　so　his　owner　prattled　to
the　silent　ones　whose　birds　had　been　defeated。

That　was　the　first　of　Arnaux's　exploits。　Best　of　fifty　birds　from
a　good　loft；　his　future　was　bright　with　promise。

He　was　invested　with　the　silver　anklet　of　the　Sacred　Order　of　the
High　Homer。　It　bore　his　number；　2590　C；　a　number　which　to…day
means　much　to　all　men　in　the　world　of　the　Homing　Pigeon。

In　that　trial　flight　from　Elizabeth　only　forty　birds　had
returned。　It　is　usually　so。　Some　were　weak　and　got　left　behind；
some　were　foolish　and　strayed。　By　this　simple　process　of　flight
selection　the　pigeon…owners　keep　improving　their　stock。　Of　the
ten；　five　were　seen　no　more；　but　five　returned　later　that　day；
not　all　at　once；　but　straggling　in；　the　last　of　the　loiterers　was
a　big；　lubberly　Blue　Pigeon。　The　man　in　the　loft　at　the　time
called：　〃Here　comes　that　old　sap…headed　Blue　that　Jakey　was
betting　on。　I　didn't　suppose　he　would　come　back；　and　I　　　　didn't
care；　neither；　for　it's　my　belief　he　has　a　streak　of　Pouter。〃

The　Big　Blue；　also　called　〃Corner…box〃　from　the　nest　where　he　was
hatched；　had　shown　remarkable　vigor　from　the　first。　Though　all
were　about　the　same　age；　he　had　grown　faster；　was　bigger；　and
incidentally　handsomer；　though　the　fanciers　cared　little　for
that。　He　seemed　fully　aware　of　his　importance；　and　early　showed　a
disposition　to　bully　his　smaller　cousins。　His　owner　prophesied
great　things　of　him；　but　Billy；　the　stable…man；　had　grave　doubts
over　the　length　of　his　neck；　the　bigness　of　his　crop；　his
carriage；　and　his　over…size。　〃A　bird　can't　make　time　pushing　a
bag　of　wind　ahead　of　him。　Them　long　legs　is　dead　weight；　an'　a
neck　like　that　ain't　got　no　gimp　in　it；〃　Billy　would　grunt
disparagingly　as　he　cleaned　out　the　loft　of　a　morning。


II

The　training　of　the　birds　went　on　after　this　at　regular　times。
The　distance　from　home；　of　the　start；　was　〃jumped〃　twenty…five　or
thirty　miles　farther　each　day；　and　its　direction　changed　till　the
Homers　knew　the　country　for　one　hundred　and　fifty　miles　around
New　York。　The　original　fifty　birds　dwindled　to　twenty；　for　the
rigid　process　weeds　out　not　only　the　weak　and　ill…equipped；　but
those　also　who　may　have　temporary　ailments　or　accidents；　or　who
may　make　the　mistake　of　over…eating　at　the　start。　Ther