michael, brother of jerry-第47节

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　ruined　shoulder；　and　collapsed。　　And　then　Sara　did　the　great　deed。　　With　one　last　scream　of　utmost　fury；　she　sprang　full　into　the　face　of　the　monstrous　cat；　tearing　and　scratching　with　hands　and　feet；　her　mouth　buried　into　the　roots　of　one　of　its　stubby　ears。　　The　astounded　leopard　upreared；　with　his　fore…paws　striking　and　ripping　at　the　little　demon　that　would　not　let　go。

The　fight　and　the　life　in　the　little　green　monkey　lasted　a　short　ten　seconds。　　But　this　was　sufficient　for　Collins　to　get　the　door　ajar　and　with　a　quick　clutch　on　Michael's　hind…leg　jerk　him　out　and　to　the　ground。



CHAPTER　XXX



No　rough…and…ready　surgery　of　the　Del　Mar　sort　obtained　at　Cedarwild；　else　Michael　would　not　have　lived。　　A　real　surgeon；　skilful　and　audacious；　came　very　close　to　vivisecting　him　as　he　radically　repaired　the　ruin　of　a　shoulder；　doing　things　he　would　not　have　dared　with　a　human　but　which　proved　to　be　correct　for　Michael。

〃He'll　always　be　lame；〃　the　surgeon　said；　wiping　his　hands　and　gazing　down　at　Michael；　who　lay；　for　the　most　part　of　him；　a　motionless　prisoner　set　in　plaster　of　Paris。　　〃All　the　healing；　and　there's　plenty　of　it；　will　have　to　be　by　first　intention。　　If　his　temperature　shoots　up　we'll　have　to　put　him　out　of　his　misery。　What's　he　worth？〃

〃He　has　no　tricks；〃　Collins　answered。　　〃Possibly　fifty　dollars；　and　certainly　not　that　now。　　Lame　dogs　are　not　worth　teaching　tricks　to。〃

Time　was　to　prove　both　men　wrong。　　Michael　was　not　destined　to　permanent　lameness；　although　in　after…years　his　shoulder　was　always　tender；　and；　on　occasion；　when　the　weather　was　damp；　he　was　compelled　to　ease　it　with　a　slight　limp。　　On　the　other　hand；　he　was　destined　to　appreciate　to　a　great　price　and　to　become　the　star　performer　Harry　Del　Mar　had　predicted　of　him。

In　the　meantime　he　lay　for　many　weary　days　in　the　plaster　and　abstained　from　raising　a　dangerous　temperature。　　The　care　taken　of　him　was　excellent。　　But　not　out　of　love　and　affection　was　it　given。　　It　was　merely　a　part　of　the　system　at　Cedarwild　which　made　the　institution　such　a　success。　　When　he　was　taken　out　of　the　plaster；　he　was　still　denied　that　instinctive　pleasure　which　all　animals　take　in　licking　their　wounds；　for　shrewdly　arranged　bandages　were　wrapped　and　buckled　on　him。　　And　when　they　were　finally　removed；　there　were　no　wounds　to　lick；　though　deep　in　the　shoulder　was　a　pain　that　required　months　in　which　to　die　out。

Harris　Collins　bothered　him　no　more　with　trying　to　teach　him　tricks；　and；　one　day；　loaned　him　as　a　filler…in　to　a　man　and　woman　who　had　lost　three　of　their　dog…troupe　by　pneumonia。

〃If　he　makes　out　you　can　have　him　for　twenty　dollars；〃　Collins　told　the　man；　Wilton　Davis。

〃And　if　he　croaks？〃　Davis　queried。

Collins　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　〃I　won't　sit　up　nights　worrying　about　him。　　He's　unteachable。〃

And　when　Michael　departed　from　Cedarwild　in　a　crate　on　an　express　wagon；　he　might　well　have　never　returned；　for　Wilton　Davis　was　notorious　among　trained…animal　men　for　his　cruelty　to　dogs。　　Some　care　he　might　take　of　a　particular　dog　with　a　particularly　valuable　trick；　but　mere　fillers…in　came　too　cheaply。　　They　cost　from　three　to　five　dollars　apiece。　　Worse　than　that；　so　far　as　he　was　concerned；　Michael　had　cost　nothing。　　And　if　he　died　it　meant　nothing　to　Davis　except　the　trouble　of　finding　another　dog。

The　first　stage　of　Michael's　new　adventure　involved　no　unusual　hardship；　despite　the　fact　that　he　was　so　cramped　in　his　crate　that　he　could　not　stand　up　and　that　the　jolting　and　handling　of　the　crate　sent　countless　twinges　of　pain　shooting　through　his　shoulder。　　The　journey　was　only　to　Brooklyn；　where　he　was　duly　delivered　to　a　second…rate　theatre；　Wilton　Davis　being　so　indifferent　a　second…rate　animal　man　that　he　could　never　succeed　in　getting　time　with　the　big　circuits。

The　hardship　of　the　cramped　crate　began　after　Michael　had　been　carried　into　a　big　room　above　the　stage　and　deposited　with　nearly　a　score　of　similarly　crated　dogs。　　A　sorry　lot　they　were；　all　of　them　scrubs　and　most　of　them　spirit…broken　and　miserable。　　Several　had　bad　sores　on　their　heads　from　being　knocked　about　by　Davis。　No　care　was　taken　of　these　sores；　and　they　were　not　improved　by　the　whitening　that　was　put　on　them　for　concealment　whenever　they　performed。　　Some　of　them　howled　lamentably　at　times；　and　every　little　while；　as　if　it　were　all　that　remained　for　them　to　do　in　their　narrow　cells；　all　of　them　would　break　out　into　barking。

Michael　was　the　only　one　who　did　not　join　in　these　choruses。　　Long　since；　as　one　feature　of　his　developing　moroseness；　he　had　ceased　from　barking。　　He　had　become　too　unsociable　for　any　such　demonstrations；　nor　did　he　pattern　after　the　example　of　some　of　the　sourer…tempered　dogs　in　the　room；　who　were　for　ever　bickering　and　snarling　through　the　slats　of　their　cages。　　In　fact；　Michael's　sourness　of　temper　had　become　too　profound　even　for　quarrelling。　All　he　desired　was　to　be　let　alone；　and　of　this　he　had　a　surfeit　for　the　first　forty…eight　hours。

Wilton　Davis　had　assembled　his　troupe　ahead　of　time；　so　that　the　change　of　programme　was　five　days　away。　　Having　taken　advantage　of　this　to　go　to　see　his　wife's　people　over　in　New　Jersey；　he　had　hired　one　of　the　stage…hands　to　feed　and　water　his　dogs。　　This　the　stage…hand　would　have　done；　had　he　not　had　the　misfortune　to　get　into　an　altercation　with　a　barkeeper　which　culminated　in　a　fractured　skull　and　an　ambulance　ride　to　the　receiving　hospital。　To　make　the　situation　perfect　for　what　followed；　the　theatre　was　closed　for　three　days　in　order　to　make　certain　alterations　demanded　by　the　Fire　Commissioners。

No　one　came　near　the　room；　and　after　several　hours　Michael　grew　aware　of　hunger　and　thirst。　　The　time　passed；　and　the　desire　for　food　was　supplanted　by　the　desire　for　water。　　By　nightfall　the　barking　and　yelping　became　continuous；　changing　through　the　long　night　hours　to　whimpering　and　whining。　　Michael　alone　made　no　sound；　suffering　dumbly　in　the　bedlam　of　misery。

Morning　of　the　second　day　dawned；　the　slow　hours　dragged　by　to　the　second　night；　and　the　darkness　of　the　second　night　drew　down　upon　a　scene　behind　the　scenes；　sufficient　of　itself　to　condemn　all　trained…animal　acts　in　all　theatres　and　show…tents　of　all　the　world。　　Whether　Michael　dreamed　or　was　in　semi…delirium；　there　is　no　telling；　but；　whichever　it　was；　he　lived　most　of　his　past　life　over　again。　　Again　he　played　as　a　puppy　on　the　broad　verandas　of　MISTER　Haggin's　plantation　bungalow　at　Meringe；　or；　with　Jerry；　stalked　the　edges　of　the　jungle　down　by　the　river…bank　to　spy　upon　the　crocodiles；　or；　learning　from　MISTER　Haggin　and　Bob；　and　patterning　after　Biddy　and　Terrence；　to　consider　black　men　as　lesser　and　despised　gods　who　must　for　ever　be　kept　strictly　in　their　places。

On　the　schooner　Eugenie　he　sailed　with　Captain　Kellar；　his　second　master；　and　on　the　beach　at　Tulagi　lost　his　heart　to　Steward　of　the　magic　fingers　and　sailed　away　with　him　and　Kwaque　on　the　steamer　Makambo。　　Steward　was　most　in　his　visions；　against　a　hazy　background　of　vessels；　and　of　individuals　like　the　Ancient　Mariner；　Simon　Nishikanta；　Grimshaw；　Captain　Doane；　and　little　old　Ah　Moy。　　Nor　least　of　all　did　Scraps　appear；　and　Cocky；　the　valiant…hearted　little　fluff　of　life　gallantly　bearing　himself　through　his　brief　adventure　in　the　sun。　　And　it　would　seem　to　Michael　that　on　one　side；　clinging　to　him；　Cocky　talked　farrago　in　his　ear；　and　on　the　other　side　Sara　clung　to　him　and　chattered　an　interminable　and　incommunicable　tale。　　And　then；　deep　about　the　roots　of　his　ears　would　seem　to　prod　the　magic；　caressing　fingers　of　Steward　the　beloved。

〃I　just　don't　I　have　no　luck；〃　Wilton　Davis　mourned；　gazing　about　at　his　dogs；　the　air　still　vibrating　with　the　string　of　oaths　he　had　at　first　ripped　out。

〃That　comes　of　trusting　a　drunken　stage…hand；〃　his　wife　remarked　placidly。　　〃I　wouldn't　be　surprised　if　half　of　them　died　on　us　now。〃

〃Well；　this　is　no　time　for　talk；〃　Davis　snarled；　proceeding　to　take　off　his　coat。　　〃Get　busy；　my　love；　and　learn　the　worst。　Water's　what　they　need。　　I'll　give　them　a　tub　of　it。〃

Bucketful　by　bucketful；　from　the　tap　at　the　sink　in　the　corner；　he　filled　a　large　galvanized…iron　tub。　　At　sound　of　the　running　water　the　dogs　began　whimpering　and　yelping　and　moaning。　　Some　tried　to　lick　his　hands　with　their　swollen　tongues　as　he　dragged　them　roughly　out　of　their　cages。　　The　weaker　ones　crawled　and　bellied　toward　the　tub；　and　were　over…trod　by　the　stronger　ones。　　There　was　not　room　for　all；　and　the　stronger　ones　drank　first；　with　much　fighting　and　squabbling　and　slashing　of　fangs。　　Into　the　foremost　of　this　was　Michael；　slashing　and　being　slashed；　but　managing　to　get　hasty　gulps　of　the　life…saving　fluid。　　Davis　danced　about　among　them；　kicking　right　and　left；　so　that　all　might　have　a　chance。　　His　wife　took　a　hand；　laying　about　her　with　a　mop。　　It　was　a　pandemonium　of　pain；　for；　their　parched　throats　softened　by　the　water；　they　were　again　able　to　yelp　and　cry　out　loudly　all　their　hurt　and　woe。

Several　were　too　weak　to　get　to　the　water；　so　it　was　carried　to　them　and　doused　and　splashed　into　their　mouths。　　It　seemed　that　they　would　never　be　satisfied。　　They　lay　in　collapse　all　about　the　room；　but　every　little　while　one　or　anot