michael, brother of jerry-第35节

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bred　had　passion；　because　of　its　hot　blood；　but　this　scrub　had　no　passion。　Its　blood　was　cold　as　its　deliberateness；　and　it　did　nothing　save　deliberately。　　These　things　he　did　not　think。　　He　merely　realized　them；　as　any　creature　realizes　itself　in　LIKING　and　in　not　LIKING。

To　cap　it　all；　the　last　night　on　board；　Michael　lost　his　thoroughbred　temper　with　this　man　who　had　no　temper。　　It　came　to　a　fight。　　And　Michael　had　no　chance。　　He　raged　royally　and　fought　royally；　leaping　to　the　attack；　after　being　knocked　over　twice　by　open…handed　blows　under　his　ear。　　Quick　as　Michael　was；　slashing　South　Sea　niggers　by　virtue　of　his　quickness　and　cleverness；　he　could　not　touch　his　teeth　to　the　flesh　of　this　man；　who　had　been　trained　for　six　years　with　animals　by　Harris　Collins。　　So　that；　when　he　leaped；　open…mouthed；　for　the　bite；　Del　Mar's　right　hand　shot　out；　gripped　his　under…jaw　as　he　was　in　the　air；　and　flipped　him　over　in　a　somersaulting　fall　to　the　floor　on　his　back。　　Once　again　he　leapt　open…mouthed　to　the　attack；　and　was　filliped　to　the　floor　so　hard　that　almost　the　last　particle　of　breath　was　knocked　out　of　him。　　The　next　leap　was　nearly　his　last。　　He　was　clutched　by　the　throat。　　Two　thumbs　pressed　into　his　neck　on　either　side　of　the　windpipe　directly　on　the　carotid　arteries；　shutting　off　the　blood　to　his　brain　and　giving　him　most　exquisite　agony；　at　the　same　time　rendering　him　unconscious　far　more　swiftly　than　the　swiftest　anaesthetic。　　Darkness　thrust　itself　upon　him；　and；　quivering　on　the　floor；　glimmeringly　he　came　back　to　the　light　of　the　room　and　to　the　man　who　was　casually　touching　a　match　to　a　cigarette　and　cautiously　keeping　an　observant　eye　on　him。

〃Come　on；〃　Del　Mar　challenged。　　〃I　know　your　kind。　　You　can't　get　my　goat；　and　maybe　I　can't　get　yours　entirely；　but　I　can　keep　you　under　my　thumb　to　work　for　me。　　Come　on；　you！〃

And　Michael　came。　　Being　a　thoroughbred；　despite　that　he　knew　he　was　beaten　by　this　two…legged　thing　which　was　not　warm　human　but　was　so　alien　and　hard　that　he　might　as　well　attack　the　wall　of　a　room　with　his　teeth；　or　a　tree…trunk；　or　a　cliff　of　rock；　Michael　leapt　bare…fanged　for　the　throat。　　And　all　that　he　leapt　against　was　training；　formula。　　The　experience　was　repeated。　　His　throat　was　gripped；　the　thumbs　shut　off　the　blood　from　his　brain；　and　darkness　smote　him。　　Had　he　been　more　than　a　normal　thoroughbred　dog；　he　would　have　continued　to　assail　his　impregnable　enemy　until　he　burst　his　heart　or　fell　in　a　fit。　　But　he　was　normal。　　Here　was　something　unassailable；　adamantine。　　As　little　might　he　win　victory　from　it；　as　from　the　cement…paved　side…walk　of　a　city。　The　thing　was　a　devil；　with　the　hardness　and　coldness；　the　wickedness　and　wisdom；　of　a　devil。　　It　was　as　bad　as　Steward　was　good。　　Both　were　two…legged。　　Both　were　gods。　　But　this　one　was　an　evil　god。

He　did　not　reason　all　this；　nor　any　of　it。　　Yet；　transmuted　into　human　terms　of　thought　and　understanding；　it　adequately　describes　the　fulness　of　his　state　of　mind　toward　Del　Mar。　　Had　Michael　been　entangled　in　a　fight　with　a　warm　god；　he　could　have　raged　and　battled　blindly；　inflicting　and　receiving　hurt　in　the　chaos　of　conflict；　as　such　a　god；　being　warm；　would　have　likewise　received　and　given　hurt；　being　only　a　flesh…and…blood；　living；　breathing　entity　after　all。　　But　this　two…legged　god…devil　did　not　rage　blindly　and　was　incapable　of　passional　heat。　　He　was　like　so　much　cunning；　massive　steel　machinery；　and　he　did　what　Michael　could　never　dream　he　didand；　for　that　matter；　which　few　humans　do　and　which　all　animal　trainers　do：　　HE　KEPT　ONE　THOUGHT　AHEAD　OF　MICHAEL'S　THOUGHT　ALL　THE　TIME；　and　therefore；　was　able　to　have　ready　one　action　always　in　anticipation　of　Michael's　next　action。　This　was　the　training　he　had　received　from　Harris　Collins；　who；　withal　he　was　a　sentimental　and　doting　husband　and　father；　was　the　arch…devil　when　it　came　to　animals　other　than　human　ones；　and　who　reigned　in　an　animal　hell　which　he　had　created　and　made　lucrative。


Michael　went　ashore　in　Seattle　all　eagerness；　straining　at　his　leash　until　he　choked　and　coughed　and　was　coldly　cursed　by　Del　Mar。　　For　Michael　was　mastered　by　his　expectation　that　he　would　meet　Steward；　and　he　looked　for　him　around　the　first　corner；　and　around　all　corners　with　undiminished　zeal。　　But　amongst　the　multitudes　of　men　there　was　no　Steward。　　Instead；　down　in　the　basement　of　the　New　Washington　Hotel；　where　electric　lights　burned　always；　under　the　care　of　the　baggage　porter；　he　was　tied　securely　by　the　neck　in　the　midst　of　Alpine　ranges　of　trunks　which　were　for　ever　being　heaped　up；　sought　over；　taken　down；　carried　away；　or　added　to。

Three　days　of　this　dolorous　existence　he　passed。　　The　porters　made　friends　with　him　and　offered　him　prodigious　quantities　of　cooked　meats　from　the　leavings　of　the　dining…room。　　Michael　was　too　disappointed　and　grief…stricken　over　Steward　to　overeat　himself；　while　Del　Mar；　accompanied　by　the　manager　of　the　hotel；　raised　a　great　row　with　the　porters　for　violating　the　feeding　instructions。

〃That　guy's　no　good；〃　said　the　head　porter　to　assistant；　when　Del　Mar　had　departed。　　〃He's　greasy。　　I　never　liked　greasy　brunettes　anyway。　　My　wife's　a　brunette；　but　thank　the　Lord　she　ain't　greasy。〃

〃Sure；〃　agreed　the　assistant。　　〃I　know　his　kind。　　Why；　if　you'd　stick　a　knife　into　him　he　wouldn't　bleed　blood。　　It'd　be　straight　liquid　lard。〃

Whereupon　the　pair　of　them　immediately　presented　Michael　with　vaster　quantities　of　meat　which　he　could　not　eat　because　the　desire　for　Steward　was　too　much　with　him。

In　the　meantime　Del　Mar　sent　off　two　telegrams　to　New　York；　the　first　to　Harris　Collins'　animal　training　school；　where　his　troupe　of　dogs　was　boarding　through　his　vacation：


〃Sell　my　dogs。　　You　know　what　they　can　do　and　what　they　are　worth。　Am　done　with　them。　　Deduct　the　board　and　hold　the　balance　for　me　until　I　see　you。　　I　have　the　limit　here　of　a　dog。　　Every　turn　I　ever　pulled　is　put　in　the　shade　by　this　one。　　He's　a　ten　strike。　Wait　till　you　see　him。〃


The　second；　to　his　booking　agent：


〃Get　busy。　　Book　me　over　the　best。　　Talk　it　up。　　I　have　the　turn。　A　winner。　　Nothing　like　it。　　Don't　talk　up　top　price　but　way　over　top　price。　　Prepare　them　for　the　dog　when　I　give　them　the　chance　for　the　once　over。　　You　know　me。　　I　am　giving　it　straight。　　This　will　head　the　bill　anywhere　all　the　time。〃



CHAPTER　XXIII



Came　the　crate。　　Because　Del　Mar　brought　it　into　the　baggage…room；　Michael　was　suspicious　of　it。　　A　minute　later　his　suspicion　was　justified。　　Del　Mar　invited　him　to　go　into　the　crate；　and　he　declined。　　With　a　quick　deft　clutch　on　the　collar　at　the　back　of　his　neck；　Del　Mar　jerked　him　off　his　footing　and　thrust　him　in；　or　partly　in；　rather；　because　he　had　managed　to　get　a　hold　on　the　edge　of　the　crate　with　his　two　fore…paws。　　The　animal　trainer　wasted　no　time。　　He　brought　the　clenched　fist　of　his　free　hand　down　in　two　blows；　rat…tat；　on　Michael's　paws。　　And　Michael；　at　the　pain；　relaxed　both　holds。　　The　next　instant　he　was　thrust　inside；　snarling　his　indignation　and　rage　as　he　vainly　flung　himself　at　the　open　bars；　while　Del　Mar　was　locking　the　stout　door。

Next；　the　crate　was　carried　out　to　an　express　wagon　and　loaded　in　along　with　a　number　of　trunks。　　Del　Mar　had　disappeared　the　moment　he　had　locked　the　door；　and　the　two　men　in　the　wagon；　which　was　now　bouncing　along　over　the　cobblestones；　were　strangers。　　There　was　just　room　in　the　crate　for　Michael　to　stand　upright；　although　he　could　not　lift　his　head　above　the　level　of　his　shoulders。　　And　so　standing；　his　head　pressed　against　the　top；　a　rut　in　the　road；　jolting　the　wagon　and　its　contents；　caused　his　head　to　bump　violently。

The　crate　was　not　quite　so　long　as　Michael；　so　that　he　was　compelled　to　stand　with　the　end　of　his　nose　pressing　against　the　end　of　the　crate。　　An　automobile；　darting　out　from　a　cross…street；　caused　the　driver　of　the　wagon　to　pull　in　abruptly　and　apply　the　brake。　　With　the　crate　thus　suddenly　arrested；　Michael's　body　was　precipitated　forward。　　There　was　no　brake　to　stop　him；　unless　the　soft　end　of　his　nose　be　considered　the　brake；　for　it　was　his　nose　that　brought　his　body　to　rest　inside　the　crate。

He　tried　lying　down；　confined　as　the　space　was；　and　made　out　better；　although　his　lips　were　cut　and　bleeding　by　having　been　forced　so　sharply　against　his　teeth。　　But　the　worst　was　to　come。　One　of　his　fore…paws　slipped　out　through　the　slats　or　bars　and　rested　on　the　bottom　of　the　wagon　where　the　trunks　were　squeaking；　screeching；　and　jigging。　　A　rut　in　the　roadway　made　the　nearest　trunk　tilt　one　edge　in　the　air　and　shift　position；　so　that　when　it　tilted　back　again　it　rested　on　Michael's　paw。　　The　unexpectedness　of　the　crushing　hurt　of　it　caused　him　to　yelp　and　at　the　same　time　instinctively　and　spasmodically　to　pull　back　with　all　his　strength。　　This　wrenched　his　shoulder　and　added　to　the　agony　of　the　imprisoned　foot。

And　blind　fear　descended　upon　Michael；　the　fear　that　is　implanted　in　all　animals　and　in　man　himselfTHE　　FEAR　OF　THE　TRAP。　　Utterly　beside　himself；　though　he　no　longer　yelped；　he　flung　himself　madly　about；　straining　the　tendons　and　muscles　of　his　shoulder　and　leg　and　further　and　severely　injuring　the　crushed　foot。　　He　even　attacked　the　bars　with　his　t