michael, brother of jerry-第40节

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〃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　until　I　see　you。　　I　have　the　limit　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。〃


Over　to　one　side　in　the　busy　arena；　Collins　contemplated　Michael。

〃Del　Mar　was　the　limit　himself；〃　he　told　Johnny；　who　held　Michael　by　the　chain。　　〃When　he　wired　me　to　sell　his　dogs　it　meant　he　had　a　better　turn；　and　here's　only　one　dog　to　show　for　it；　a　damned　thoroughbred　at　that。　　He　says　it's　the　limit。　　It　must　be；　but　in　heaven's　name；　what　is　its　turn？　　It's　never　done　a　flip　in　its　life；　much　less　a　double　flip。　　What　do　you　think；　Johnny？　　Use　your　head。　　Suggest　something。〃

〃Maybe　it　can　count；〃　Johnny　advanced。

〃And　counting…dogs　are　a　drug　on　the　market。　　Well；　anyway；　let's　try。〃

And　Michael；　who　knew　unerringly　how　to　count；　refused　to　perform。

〃If　he　was　a　regular　dog；　he　could　walk　anyway；〃　was　Collins'　next　idea。　　〃We'll　try　him。〃

And　Michael　went　through　the　humiliating　ordeal　of　being　jerked　erect　on　his　hind　legs　by　Johnny　while　Collins　with　the　stick　cracked　him　under　the　jaw　and　across　the　knees。　　In　his　wrath；　Michael　tried　to　bite　the　master…god；　and　was　jerked　away　by　the　chain。　　When　he　strove　to　retaliate　on　Johnny；　that　imperturbable　youth；　with　extended　arm；　merely　lifted　him　into　the　air　on　his　chain　and　strangled　him。

〃That's　off；〃　quoth　Collins　wearily。　　〃If　he　can't　stand　on　his　hind　legs　he　can't　barrel…jumpyou've　heard　about　Ruth；　Johnny。　She　was　a　winner。　　Jump　in　and　out　of　nail…kegs；　on　her　hind　legs；　without　ever　touching　with　her　front　ones。　　She　used　to　do　eight　kegs；　in　one　and　out　into　the　next。　　Remember　when　she　was　boarded　here　and　rehearsed。　　She　was　a　gold…mine；　but　Carson　didn't　know　how　to　treat　her；　and　she　croaked　off　with　penumonia　at　Cripple　Creek。〃

〃Wonder　if　he　can　spin　plates　on　his　nose；〃　Johnny　volunteered。

〃Can't　stand　up　on　hind　legs；〃　Collins　negatived。　　〃Besides；　nothing　like　the　limit　in　a　turn　like　that。　　This　dog's　got　a　specially。　　He　ain't　ordinary。　　He　does　some　unusual　thing　unusually　well；　and　it's　up　to　us　to　locate　it。　　That　comes　of　Harry　dying　so　inconsiderately　and　leaving　this　puzzle…box　on　my　hands。　　I　see　I　just　got　to　devote　myself　to　him。　　Take　him　away；　Johnny。　　Number　Eighteen　for　him。　　Later　on　we　can　put　him　in　the　single　compartments。〃



CHAPTER　XXVI



Number　Eighteen　was　a　big　compartment　or　cage　in　the　dog　row；　large　enough　with　due　comfort　for　a　dozen　Irish　terriers　like　Michael。　　For　Harris　Collins　was　scientific。　　Dogs　on　vacation；　boarding　at　the　Cedarwild　Animal　School；　were　given　every　opportunity　to　recuperate　from　the　hardships　and　wear　and　tear　of　from　six　months　to　a　year　and　more　on　the　road。　　It　was　for　this　reason　that　the　school　was　so　popular　a　boarding…place　for　performing　animals　when　the　owners　were　on　vacation　or　out　of　〃time。〃　　Harris　Collins　kept　his　animals　clean　and　comfortable　and　guarded　from　germ　diseases。　　In　short；　he　renovated　them　against　their　next　trips　out　on　vaudeville　time　or　circus　engagement。

To　the　left　of　Michael；　in　Number　Seventeen；　were　five　grotesquely　clipped　French　poodles。　　Michael　could　not　see　them；　save　when　he　was　being　taken　out　or　brought　back；　but　he　could　smell　them　and　hear　them；　and；　in　his　loneliness；　he　even　started　a　feud　of　snarling　bickeringness　with　Pedro；　the　biggest　of　them　who　acted　as　clown　in　their　turn。　　They　were　aristocrats　among　performing　animals；　and　Michael's　feud　with　Pedro　was　not　so　much　real　as　play…acted。　　Had　he　and　Pedro　been　brought　together　they　would　have　made　friends　in　no　time。　　But　through　the　slow　monotonous　drag　of　the　hours　they　developed　a　fictitious　excitement　and　interest　in　mouthing　their　quarrel　which　each　knew　in　his　heart　of　hearts　was　no　quarrel　at　all。

In　Number　Nineteen；　on　Michael's　right；　was　a　sad　and　tragic　company。　　They　were　mongrels；　kept　spotlessly　and　germicidally　clean；　who　were　unattached　and　untrained。　　They　composed　a　sort　of　reserve　of　raw　material；　to　be　worked　into　established　troupes　when　an　extra　one　or　a　substitute　was　needed。　　This　meant　the　hell　of　the　arena　where　the　training　went　on。　　Also；　in　spare　moments；　Collins；　or　his　assistants；　were　for　ever　trying　them　out　with　all　manner　of　tricks　in　the　quest　of　special　aptitudes　on　their　parts。　Thus；　a　mongrel　semblance　to　a　cooker　spaniel　of　a　dog　was　tried　out　for　several　days　as　a　pony…rider　who　would　leap　through　paper　hoops　from　the　pony's　back；　and　return　upon　the　back　again。　　After　several　falls　and　painful　injuries；　it　was　rejected　for　the　feat　and　tried　out　as　a　plate…balancer。　　Failing　in　this；　it　was　made　into　a　see…saw　dog　who；　for　the　rest　of　the　turn；　filled　into　the　background　of　a　troupe　of　twenty　dogs。

Number　Nineteen　was　a　place　of　perpetual　quarrelling　and　pain。　Dogs；　hurt　in　the　training；　licked　their　wounds；　and　moaned；　or　howled；　or　were　irritable　to　excess　on　the　slightest　provocation。　Always；　when　a　new　dog　enteredand　this　was　a　regular　happening；　for　others　were　continually　being　taken　away　to　hit　the　roadthe　cage　was　vexed　with　quarrels　and　battles；　until　the　new　dog；　by　fighting　or　by　non　resistance；　had　commanded　or　been　taught　its　proper　place。

Michael　ignored　the　denizens　of　Number　Nineteen。　　They　could　sniff　and　snarl　belligerently　across　at　him；　but　he　took　no　notice；　reserving　his　companionship　for　the　play…acted　and　perennial　quarrel　with　Pedro。　　Also；　Michael　was　out　in　the　arena　more　often　and　far　longer　hours　than　any　of　them。

〃Trust　Harry　not　to　make　a　mistake　on　a　dog；〃　was　Collins's　judgment；　and　constantly　he　strove　to　find　in　Michael　what　had　made　Del　Mar　declare　him　a　ten　strike　and　the　limit。

Every　indignity；　in　the　attempt　to　find　out；　was　wreaked　upon　Michael。　　They　tried　him　at　hurdle…jumping；　at　walking　on　fore…　legs；　at　pony…riding；　at　forward　flips；　and　at　clowning　with　other　dogs。　　They　tried　him　at　waltzing；　all　his　legs　cord…fastened　and　dragged　and　jerked　and　slacked　under　him。　　They　spiked　his　collar　in　some　of　the　attempted　tricks　to　keep　him　from　lurching　from　side　to　side　or　from　falling　forward　or　backward。　　They　used　the　whip　and　the　rattan　stick；　and　twisted　his　nose。　　They　attempted　to　make　a　goal…keeper　of　him　in　a　football　game　between　two　teams　of　pain…driven　and　pain…bitten　mongrels。　　And　they　dragged　him　up　ladders　to　make　him　dive　into　a　tank　of　water。

Even　they　essayed　to　make　him　〃loop　the　loop〃rushing　him　down　an　inclined　trough　at　so　high　speed　of　his　legs；　accelerated　by　the　slash　of　whips　on　his　hindquarters；　that；　with　such　initial　momentum；　had　he　put　his　heart　and　will　into　it；　he　could　have　successfully　run　up　the　inside　of　the　loop；　and　across　the　inside　of　the　top　of　it；　back…downward；　like　a　fly　on　the　ceiling；　and　on　and　down　and　around　and　out　of　the　loop。　　But　he　refused　the　will　and　the　heart；　and　every　time；　when　he　was　unable　at　the　beginning　to　leap　sideways　out　of　the　inclined　trough；　he　fell　grievously　from　the　inside　of　the　loop；　bruising　and　injuring　himself。

〃It　isn't　that　I　expect　these　things　are　what　Harry　had　in　mind；〃　Collins　would　say；　for　always　he　was　training　his　assistants；　〃but　that　through　them　I　may　get　a　cue　to　his　specially；　whatever　in　God's　name　it　is；　that　poor　Harry　must　have　known。〃

Out　of　love；　at　the　wish　of　his　love…god；　Steward；　Michael　would　have　striven　to　learn　these　tricks　and　in　most　of　them　would　have　succeeded。　　But　here　at　Cedarwild　was　no　love；　and　his　own　thoroughbred　nature　made　him　stubbornly　refuse　to　do　under　compulsion　what　he　would　gladly　have　done　out　of　love。　　As　a　result；　since　Collins　was　no　thoroughbred　of　a　man；　the　clashes　between　them　were　for　a　time　frequent　and　savage。　　In　this　fighting　Michael　quickly　learned　he　had　no　chance。　　He　was　always　doomed　to　defeat。　　He　was　beaten　by　stereotyped　formula　before　he　began。　　Never　once　could　he　get　his　teeth　into　Collins　or　Johnny。　He　was　too　common…sensed　to　keep　up　the　battling　in　which　he　would　surely　have　broken　his　heart　and　his　body　and　gone　dumb　mad。　Instead；　he　retired　into　himself；　became　sullen；　undemonstrative；　and；　though　he　never　cowered　in　defeat；　and　though　he　was　always　ready　to　snarl　and　bristle　his　hair　in　advertisement　that　inside　he　was　himself　and　unconquered；　he　no　longer　burst　out　in　furious　anger。

After　a　time；　scarcely　ever　trying　him　out　on　a　new　trick；　the　chain　and　Johnny　were　dispensed　with；　and　with　Collins　he　spent　all　Collins's　hours　in　the　arena。　　He　learned；　by　bitter　lessons；　that　he　must　follow　Collins　around；　and　follow　him　he　did；　hating　him　perpetually　and　in　his　own　body　slowly　and　subtly　poisoning　himself　by　the　juices　of　his　glands　that　did　not　secrete　and　flow　in　quite　their　normal　way　because　of　the　pressure　put　upon　them　by　his　hatred。

The　effect　of　this；　on　his　body；　was　not　perceptible。　　This　was　because　of　his　splendid　constitution　and　health。　　Wherefore；　since　the　effect　must　be　produced　somewhere；　it　was　his　mind；　or　spirit；　or　nature；　or　brain；　or　processes　of　consciousness；　that　received　it。　　He　drew　more　and　more　within　himself；　became　morose；　and　brooded　much。　　All　of　which　was　spiritually　unhealthful。　　He；