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第43节

michael, brother of jerry-第43节

小说: michael, brother of jerry 字数: 每页4000字

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es。  You see; the life ain't natural。  And when they do; it's good night。  You lose your investment; and; if you don't know your business; maybe your life。〃

And Michael might well have been tried out on Hannibal and have lost his head inside that animal's huge mouth; had not the good fortune of apropos…ness intervened。  For; the next moment; Collins was listening to the hasty report of his lion…and…tiger keeper。 The man who reported was possibly forty years of age; although he looked half as old again。  He was a withered…faced man; whose face…lines; deep and vertical; looked as if they had been clawed there by some beast other than himself。

〃Old Hannibal is going crazy;〃 was the burden of his report。

〃Nonsense;〃 said Harris Collins。  〃It's you that's getting old。 He's got your goat; that's all。  I'll show it to you。Come on along; all of you。  We'll take fifteen minutes off of the work; and I'll show you a show never seen in the show…ring。  It'd be worth ten thousand a week anywhere 。 。 。 only it wouldn't last。 Old Hannibal would turn up his toes out of sheer hurt feelings。 Come on everybody!  All hands!  Fifteen minutes recess!〃

And Michael followed at the heels of his latest and most terrible master; the twain leading the procession of employees and visiting professional animal men who trooped along behind。  As was well known; when Harris Collins performed he performed only for the elite; for the hoi…polloi of the trained…animal world。

The lion…and…tiger man; who had clawed his own face with the beast…claws of his nature; whimpered protest when he saw his employer's preparation to enter Hannibal's cage; for the preparation consisted merely in equipping himself with a broom… handle。

Hannibal was old; but he was reputed the largest lion in captivity; and he had not lost his teeth。  He was pacing up and down the length of his cage; heavily and swaying; after the manner of captive animals; when the unexpected audience erupted into the space before his cage。  Yet he took no notice whatever; merely continuing his pacing; swinging his head from side to side; turning lithely at each end of his cage; with all the air of being bent on some determined purpose。

〃That's the way he's been goin' on for two days;〃 whimpered his keeper。  〃An' when you go near 'm; he just reaches for you。  Look what he done to me。〃  The man held up his right arm; the shirt and undershirt ripped to shreds; and red parallel grooves; slightly clotted with blood; showing where the claws had broken the skin。 〃An' I wasn't inside。  He did it through the bars; with one swipe; when I was startin' to clean his cage。  Now if he'd only roar; or something。  But he never makes a sound; just keeps on goin' up an' down。〃

〃Where's the key?〃 Collins demanded。  〃Good。  Now let me in。  And lock it afterward and take the key out。  Lose it; forget it; throw it away。  I'll have all the time in the world to wait for you to find it to let me out。〃

And Harris Collins; a sliver of a less than a light…weight man; who lived in mortal fear that at table the mother of his children would crown him with a plate of hot soup; went into the cage; before the critical audience of his employees and professional visitors; armed only with a broom…handle。  Further; the door was locked behind him; and; the moment he was in; keeping a casual but alert eye on the pacing Hannibal; he reiterated his order to lock the door and remove the key。

Half a dozen times the lion paced up and down; declining to take any notice of the intruder。  And then; when his back was turned as he went down the cage; Collins stepped directly in the way of his return path and stood still。  Coming back and finding his way blocked; Hannibal did not roar。  His muscular movements sliding each into the next like so much silk of tawny hide; he struck at the obstacle that confronted his way。  But Collins; knowing ahead of the lion what the lion was going to do; struck first; with the broom…handle rapping the beast on its tender nose。  Hannibal recoiled with a flash of snarl and flashed back a second sweeping stroke of his mighty paw。  Again he was anticipated; and the rap on his nose sent him into recoil。

〃Got to keep his head downthat way lies safety;〃 the master… trainer muttered in a low; tense voice。

〃Ah; would you?  Take it; then。〃

Hannibal; in wrath; crouching for a spring; had lifted his head。 The consequent blow on his nose forced his head down to the floor; and the king of beasts; nose still to floor; backed away with mouth…snarls and throat…and…chest noises。

〃Follow up;〃 Collins enunciated; himself following; rapping the nose again sharply and accelerating the lion's backward retreat。

〃Man is the boss because he's got the head that thinks;〃 Collins preached the lesson; 〃and he's just got to make his head boss his body; that's all; so that he can think one thought ahead of the animal; and act one act ahead。  Watch me get his goat。  He ain't the hard case he's trying to make himself believe he is。  And that idea; which he's just starting; has got to be taken out of him。 The broomstick will do it。  Watch。〃

He backed the animal down the length of the cage; continually rapping at the nose and keeping it down to the floor。

〃Now I'm going to pile him into the corner。〃

And Hannibal; snarling; growling; and spitting; ducking his head and with short paw…strokes trying to ward off the insistent broomstick; backed obediently into the corner; crumpled up his hind…parts; and tried to withdraw his corporeal body within itself in a pain…urged effort to make it smaller。  And always he kept his nose down and himself harmless for a spring。  In the thick of it he slowly raised his nose and yawned。  Nor; because it came up slowly; and because Collins had anticipated the yawn by being one thought ahead of Hannibal in Hannibal's own brain; was the nose rapped。

〃That's the goat;〃 Collins announced; for the first time speaking in a hearty voice in which was no vibration of strain。  〃When a lion yawns in the thick of a fight; you know he ain't crazy。  He's sensible。  He's got to be sensible; or he'd be springing or lashing out instead of yawning。  He knows he's licked; and that yawn of his merely says:  'I quit。  For the I love of Mike leave me alone。  My nose is awful sore。  I'd like to get you; but I can't。  I'll do anything you want; and I'll be dreadful good; but don't hit my poor sore nose。'

〃But man is the boss; and he can't afford to be so easy。  Drive the lesson home that you're boss。  Rub it in。  Don't stop when he quits。  Make him swallow the medicine and lick the spoon。  Make him kiss your foot on his neck holding him down in the dirt。  Make him kiss the stick that's beaten him。Watch!〃

And Hannibal; the largest lion in captivity; with all his teeth; captured out of the jungle after he was full…grown; a veritable king of beasts; before the menacing broomstick in the hand of a sliver of a man; backed deeper and more crumpled together into the corner。  His back was bowed up; the very opposite muscular position to that for a spring; while he drew his head more and more down and under his chest in utter abjectness; resting his weight on his elbows and shielding his poor nose with his massive paws; a single stroke of which could have ripped the life of Collins quivering from his body。

〃Now he might be tricky;〃 Collins announced; 〃but he's got to kiss my foot and the stick just the same。  Watch!〃

He lifted and advanced his left foot; not tentatively and hesitantly; but quickly and firmly; bringing it to rest on the lion's neck。  The stick was poised to strike; one act ahead of the lion's next possible act; as Collins's mind was one thought ahead of the lion's next thought。

And Hannibal did the forecasted and predestined。  His head flashed up; huge jaws distended; fangs gleaming; to sink into the slender; silken…hosed ankle above the tan low…cut shoes。  But the fangs never sank。  They were scarcely started a fifth of the way of the distance; when the waiting broomstick rapped on his nose and made him sink it in the floor under his chest and cover it again with his paws。

〃He ain't crazy;〃 said Collins。  〃He knows; from the little he knows; that I know more than him and that I've got him licked to a fare…you…well。  If he was crazy; he wouldn't know; and I wouldn't know his mind either; and I wouldn't be that one jump ahead of him; and he'd get me and mess the whole cage up with my insides。〃

He prodded Hannibal with the end of the broom…handle; after each prod poising it for a stroke。  And the great lion lay and roared in helplessness; and at each prod exposed his nose more and lifted it higher; until; at the end; his red tongue ran out between his fangs and licked the boot resting none too gently on his neck; and; after that; licked the broomstick that had administered all the punishment。

〃Going to be a good lion now?〃 Collins demanded; roughly rubbing his foot back and forth on Hannibal's neck。

Hannibal could not refrain from growling his hatred。

〃Going to be a good lion?〃 Collins repeated; rubbing his foot back and forth still more roughly。

And Hannibal exposed his nose and with his red tongue licked again the tan shoe and the slender; tan…silken ankle that he could have d

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