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promptly。 Audiences will not brook the delay of waiting while a trainer tries to persuade a crusty or roguish beast to do what the audience has paid to see it do。

So St。 Elias received his first lesson in compulsion。  It was also his last lesson; and it never progressed so far as the training… arena; for it took place in his own cage。

Noosed in the customary way; his four legs dragged through the bars; and his head; by means of a 〃choke〃 collar; drawn against the bars; he was first of all manicured。  Each one of his great claws was cut off flush with his flesh。  The men outside did this。 Then Mulcachy; on the inside; punched his nose。  Not lightly as it sounds was this operation。  The punch was a perforation。 Thrusting the instrument into the huge bear's nostril; Mulcachy cut a clean round chunk of living meat out of one side of it。 Mulcachy knew the bear business。  At all times; to make an untrained bear obey; one must be fast to some sensitive portion of the bear。  The ears; the nose; and the eyes are the accessible sensitive parts; and; the eyes being out of the question; remain the nose and the ears as the parts to which to make fast。

Through the perforation Mulcachy immediately clamped a metal ring。 To the ring he fastened a long 〃lunge〃…rope; which was well named。 Any unruly lunge; at any time during all the subsequent life of St。 Elias; could thus be checked by the man who held the lunge… rope。  His destiny was patent and ordained。  For ever; as long as he lived and breathed; would he be a prisoner and slave to the rope in the ring in his nostril。

The nooses were slipped; and St。 Elias was at liberty; within the confines of his cage; to get acquainted with the ring in his nose。 With his powerful fore…paws; standing erect and roaring; he proceeded to get acquainted with the ring。  It certainly was not a thing persuasible。  It was living fire。  And he tore at it with his paws as he would have torn at the stings of bees when raiding a honey…tree。  He tore the thing out; ripping the ring clear through the flesh and transforming the round perforation into a ragged chasm of pain。

Mulcachy cursed。  〃Here's where hell coughs;〃 he said。  The nooses were introduced again。  Again St。 Elias; helpless on his side against and partly through the bars; had his nose punched。  This time it was the other nostril。  And hell coughed。  As before; the moment he was released; he tore the ring out through his flesh。

Mulcachy was disgusted。  〃Listen to reason; won't you?〃 he objurgated; as; this time; the reason he referred to was the introduction of the ring clear through both nostrils; higher up; and through the central dividing wall of cartilage。  But St。 Elias was unreasonable。  Unlike Ben Bolt; there was nothing inside of him weak enough; or nervous enough; or high…strung enough; to break。  The moment he was free he ripped the ring away with half of his nose along with it。  Mulcachy punched St。 Elias's right ear。  St。 Elias tore his right ear to shreds。  Mulcachy punched his left ear。  He tore his left ear to shreds。  And Mulcachy gave in。  He had to。  As he said plaintively:

〃We're beaten。  There ain't nothing left to make fast to。〃

Later; when St。 Elias was condemned to be a 〃cage…animal〃 all his days; Mulcachy was wont to grumble:

〃He was the most unreasonable animal!  Couldn't do a thing with him。  Couldn't ever get anything to make fast to。〃



CHAPTER XXXIV



It was in the Orpheum Theatre; of Oakland; California; and Harley Kennan was in the act of reaching under his seat for his hat; when his wife said:

〃Why; this isn't the interval。  There's one more turn yet。〃

〃A dog turn;〃 he answered; and thereby explained; for it was his practice to leave a theatre during the period of the performance of an animal…act。

Villa Kennan glanced hastily at the programme。

〃Of course;〃 she said; then added:  〃But it's a singing dog。  A dog Caruso。  And it points out that there is no one on the stage with the dog。  Let us stay for once; and see how he compares with Jerry。〃

〃Some poor brute tormented into howling;〃 Harley grumbled。

〃But it has the stage to itself;〃 Villa urged。  〃Besides; if it is painful; then we can go out。  I'll go out with you。  But I just would like to see how much better Jerry sings than does he。  And it says an Irish terrier; too。〃

So Harley Kennan remained。  The two burnt…cork comedians finished their turn and their three encores; and the curtain behind them went up on a full set of an empty stage。  A rough…coated Irish terrier entered at a sedate walk; sedately walked forward to the centre; nearly to the footlights; and faced the leader of the orchestra。  As the programme had stated; he had the stage to himself

The orchestra played the opening strains of 〃Sweet Bye and Bye。〃 The dog yawned and sat down。  But the orchestra was thoroughly instructed to play the opening strains over and over; until the dog responded; and then to follow on with him。  By the third time; the dog opened his mouth and began。  It was not a mere howling。 For that matter; it was too mellow to be classified as a howl at all。  Nor was it merely rhythmic。  The notes the dog sang were of the air; and they were correct。

But Villa Kennan scarcely heard。

〃He has Jerry beaten a mile;〃 Harley muttered to her。

〃Listen;〃 she replied; in tense whispers。  〃Did you ever see that dog before?〃

Harley shook his head。

〃You have seen him before;〃 she insisted。  〃Look at that crinkled ear。  Think!  Think back!  Remember!〃

Still her husband shook his head。

〃Remember the Solomons;〃 she pressed。  〃Remember the Ariel。 Remember when we came back from Malaita; where we picked Jerry up; to Tulagi; that he had a brother there; a nigger…chaser on a schooner。〃

〃And his name was Michaelgo on。〃

〃And he had that self…same crinkled ear;〃 she hurried。  〃And he was rough…coated。  And he was full brother to Jerry。  And their father and mother were Terrence and Biddy of Meringe。  And Jerry is our Sing Song Silly。  And this dog sings。  And he has a crinkled ear。  And his name is Michael。〃

〃Impossible;〃 said Harley。

〃It is when the impossible comes true that life proves worth while;〃 she retorted。  〃And this is one of those worth…whiles of impossibles。  I know it。〃

Still the man of him said impossible; and still the woman of her insisted that this was an impossible come true。  By this time the dog on the stage was singing 〃God Save the King。〃

〃That shows I am right;〃 Villa contended。  〃No American; in America; would teach a dog 'God Save the King。'  An Englishman originally owned that dog and taught it。  The Solomons are British。〃

〃That's a far cry;〃 he smiled。  〃But what gets me is that ear。  I remember it now。  I remember the day when we were on the beach at Tulagi with Jerry; and when his brother came ashore from the Eugenie in a whaleboat。  And his brother had that self…same; loppy; crinkled ear。〃

〃And more;〃 Villa argued。  〃How many singing dogs have we ever known!  Only oneJerry。  Evidently such a type occurs rarely。 The same family would more likely produce similar types than different families。  The family of Terrence and Biddy produced Jerry。  And this is Michael。〃

〃He WAS rough…coated; along with a crinkly ear;〃 Harley meditated back。  〃I see him distinctly as he stood up in the bow of the whaleboat and as he ran along the beach side by side with Jerry。〃

〃If Jerry should to…morrow run side by side with him you would be convinced?〃 she queried。

〃It was their trick; and the trick of Terrence and Biddy before them;〃 he agreed。  〃But it's a far cry from the Solomons to the United States。〃

〃Jerry is such a far cry;〃 she replied。  〃And if Jerry won from the Solomons to California; then is there anything more remarkable in Michael so winning?Oh; listen!〃

For the dog on the stage; now responding to its one encore; was singing 〃Home; Sweet Home。〃  This finished; Jacob Henderson; to tumultuous applause。; came on the stage from the wings and joined the dog in bowing。  Villa and Harley sat in silence for a moment。 Then Villa said; apropos of nothing:

〃I have been sitting here and feeling very grateful for one particular thing。〃

He waited。

〃It is that we are so abominably wealthy;〃 she concluded。

〃Which means that you want the dog; must have him; and are going to got him; just because I can afford to do it for you;〃 he teased。

〃Because you can't afford not to;〃 she answered。  〃You must know he is Jerry's brother。  At least; you must have a sneaking suspicion 。 。 。 ?〃

〃I have;〃 he nodded。  〃The thing that can't sometimes does; and there is a chance that this may be one of those times。  Of course; it isn't Michael; but; on the other hand; what's to prevent it from being Michael?  Let us go behind and find out。〃


〃More agents of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals;〃 was Jacob Henderson's thought; as the man and woman; accompanied by the manager of the theatre; were shown into his tiny dressing…room。  Michael; on a chair and half asleep; took no notice of them。  While Harley talked with Henderson; Villa investigated Michael; and Michael scarcely opened his eyes ere he closed them again。  Too sour on the human world; and too glum in his own soured nature; he w

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