a yellow dog-第1章

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A　YELLOW　DOG





I　never　knew　why　in　the　Western　States　of　America　a　yellow　dog

should　be　proverbially　considered　the　acme　of　canine　degradation

and　incompetency；　nor　why　the　possession　of　one　should　seriously

affect　the　social　standing　of　its　possessor。　　But　the　fact　being

established；　I　think　we　accepted　it　at　Rattlers　Ridge　without

question。　　The　matter　of　ownership　was　more　difficult　to　settle；

and　although　the　dog　I　have　in　my　mind　at　the　present　writing

attached　himself　impartially　and　equally　to　everyone　in　camp；　no

one　ventured　to　exclusively　claim　him；　while；　after　the

perpetration　of　any　canine　atrocity；　everybody　repudiated　him　with

indecent　haste。



〃Well；　I　can　swear　he　hasn't　been　near　our　shanty　for　weeks；〃　or

the　retort；　〃He　was　last　seen　comin'　out　of　YOUR　cabin；〃　expressed

the　eagerness　with　which　Rattlers　Ridge　washed　its　hands　of　any

responsibility。　　Yet　he　was　by　no　means　a　common　dog；　nor　even　an

unhandsome　dog；　and　it　was　a　singular　fact　that　his　severest

critics　vied　with　each　other　in　narrating　instances　of　his

sagacity；　insight；　and　agility　which　they　themselves　had　witnessed。



He　had　been　seen　crossing　the　〃flume〃　that　spanned　Grizzly　Canyon

at　a　height　of　nine　hundred　feet；　on　a　plank　six　inches　wide。　　He

had　tumbled　down　the　〃shoot〃　to　the　South　Fork；　a　thousand　feet

below；　and　was　found　sitting　on　the　riverbank　〃without　a　scratch；

'cept　that　he　was　lazily　givin'　himself　with　his　off　hind　paw。〃　　He

had　been　forgotten　in　a　snowdrift　on　a　Sierran　shelf；　and　had　come

home　in　the　early　spring　with　the　conceited　complacency　of　an

Alpine　traveler　and　a　plumpness　alleged　to　have　been　the　result　of

an　exclusive　diet　of　buried　mail　bags　and　their　contents。　　He　was

generally　believed　to　read　the　advance　election　posters；　and

disappear　a　day　or　two　before　the　candidates　and　the　brass　band

which　he　hatedcame　to　the　Ridge。　　He　was　suspected　of　having

overlooked　Colonel　Johnson's　hand　at　poker；　and　of　having　conveyed

to　the　Colonel's　adversary；　by　a　succession　of　barks；　the　danger　of

betting　against　four　kings。



While　these　statements　were　supplied　by　wholly　unsupported

witnesses；　it　was　a　very　human　weakness　of　Rattlers　Ridge　that　the

responsibility　of　corroboration　was　passed　to　the　dog　himself；　and

HE　was　looked　upon　as　a　consummate　liar。



〃Snoopin'　round　yere；　and　CALLIN'　yourself　a　poker　sharp；　are　ye！

Scoot；　you　yaller　pizin！〃　was　a　common　adjuration　whenever　the

unfortunate　animal　intruded　upon　a　card　party。　　〃Ef　thar　was　a

spark；　an　ATOM　of　truth　in　THAT　DOG；　I'd　believe　my　own　eyes　that　I

saw　him　sittin'　up　and　trying　to　magnetize　a　jay　bird　off　a　tree。

But　wot　are　ye　goin'　to　do　with　a　yaller　equivocator　like　that？〃



I　have　said　that　he　was　yellowor；　to　use　the　ordinary　expression；

〃yaller。〃　　Indeed；　I　am　inclined　to　believe　that　much　of　the

ignominy　attached　to　the　epithet　lay　in　this　favorite

pronunciation。　　Men　who　habitually　spoke　of　a　〃YELLOW　bird；〃　a

〃YELLOW…hammer；〃　a　〃YELLOW　leaf；〃　always　alluded　to　him　as　a

〃YALLER　dog。〃



He　certainly　WAS　yellow。　　After　a　bathusually　compulsoryhe

presented　a　decided　gamboge　streak　down　his　back；　from　the　top　of

his　forehead　to　the　stump　of　his　tail；　fading　in　his　sides　and

flank　to　a　delicate　straw　color。　　His　breast；　legs；　and　feetwhen

not　reddened　by　〃slumgullion；〃　in　which　he　was　fond　of　wadingwere

white。　　A　few　attempts　at　ornamental　decoration　from　the　India…ink

pot　of　the　storekeeper　failed；　partly　through　the　yellow　dog's

excessive　agility；　which　would　never　give　the　paint　time　to　dry　on

him；　and　partly　through　his　success　in　transferring　his　markings　to

the　trousers　and　blankets　of　the　camp。



The　size　and　shape　of　his　tailwhich　had　been　cut　off　before　his

introduction　to　Rattlers　Ridgewere　favorite　sources　of

speculation　to　the　miners；　as　determining　both　his　breed　and　his

moral　responsibility　in　coming　into　camp　in　that　defective

condition。　　There　was　a　general　opinion　that　he　couldn't　have

looked　worse　with　a　tail；　and　its　removal　was　therefore　a

gratuitous　effrontery。



His　best　feature　was　his　eyes；　which　were　a　lustrous　Vandyke　brown；

and　sparkling　with　intelligence；　but　here　again　he　suffered　from

evolution　through　environment；　and　their　original　trustful　openness

was　marred　by　the　experience　of　watching　for　flying　stones；　sods；

and　passing　kicks　from　the　rear；　so　that　the　pupils　were

continually　reverting　to　the　outer　angle　of　the　eyelid。



Nevertheless；　none　of　these　characteristics　decided　the　vexed

question　of　his　BREED。　　His　speed　and　scent　pointed　to　a　〃hound；〃

and　it　is　related　that　on　one　occasion　he　was　laid　on　the　trail　of

a　wildcat　with　such　success　that　he　followed　it　apparently　out　of

the　State；　returning　at　the　end　of　two　weeks　footsore；　but　blandly

contented。



Attaching　himself　to　a　prospecting　party；　he　was　sent　under　the

same　belief；　〃into　the　brush〃　to　drive　off　a　bear；　who　was　supposed

to　be　haunting　the　campfire。　　He　returned　in　a　few　minutes　WITH　the

bear；　DRIVING　IT　INTO　the　unarmed　circle　and　scattering　the　whole

party。　　After　this　the　theory　of　his　being　a　hunting　dog　was

abandoned。　　Yet　it　was　saidon　the　usual　uncorroborated　evidence

that　he　had　〃put　up〃　a　quail；　and　his　qualities　as　a　retriever　were

for　a　long　time　accepted；　until；　during　a　shooting　expedition　for

wild　ducks；　it　was　discovered　that　the　one　he　had　brought　back　had

never　been　shot；　and　the　party　were　obliged　to　compound　damages

with　an　adjacent　settler。



His　fondness　for　paddling　in　the　ditches　and　〃slumgullion〃　at　one

time　suggested　a　water　spaniel。　　He　could　swim；　and　would

occasionally　bring　out　of　the　river　sticks　and　pieces　of　bark　that

had　been　thrown　in；　but　as　HE　always　had　to　be　thrown　in　with　them；

and　was　a　good…sized　dog；　his　aquatic　reputation　faded　also。　　He

remained　simply　〃a　yaller　dog。〃　　What　more　could　be　said？　　His

actual　name　was　〃Bones〃given　to　him；　no　doubt；　through　the

provincial　custom　of　confounding　the　occupation　of　the　individual

with　his　quality；　for　which　it　was　pointed　out　precedent　could　be

found　in　some　old　English　family　names。



But　if　Bones　generally　exhibited　no　preference　for　any　particular

individual　in　camp；　he　always　made　an　exception　in　favor　of

drunkards。　　Even　an　ordinary　roistering　bacchanalian　party　brought

him　out　from　under　a　tree　or　a　shed　in　the　keenest　satisfaction。

He　would　accompany　them　through　the　long　straggling　street　of　the

settlement；　barking　his　delight　at　every　step　or　misstep　of　the

revelers；　and　exhibiting　none　of　that　mistrust　of　eye　which　marked

his　attendance　upon　the　sane　and　the　respectable。　　He　accepted　even

their　uncouth　play　without　a　snarl　or　a　yelp；　hypocritically

pretending　even　to　like　it；　and　I　conscientiously　believe　would

have　allowed　a　tin　can　to　be　attached　to　his　tail　if　the　hand　that

tied　it　on　were　only　unsteady；　and　the　voice　that　bade　him　〃lie

still〃　were　husky　with　liquor。　　He　would　〃see〃　the　party　cheerfully

into　a　saloon；　wait　outside　the　doorhis　tongue　fairly　lolling

from　his　mouth　in　enjoymentuntil　they　reappeared；　permit　them

even　to　tumble　over　him　with　pleasure；　and　then　gambol　away　before

them；　heedless　of　awkwardly　projected　stones　and　epithets。　　He

would　afterward　accompany　them　separately　home；　or　lie　with　them　at

crossroads　until　they　were　assisted　to　their　cabins。　　Then　he　would

trot　rakishly　to　his　own　haunt　by　the　saloon　stove；　with　the

slightly　conscious　air　of　having　been　a　bad　dog；　yet　of　having　had

a　good　time。



We　never　could　satisfy　ourselves　whether　his　enjoyment　arose　from

some　merely　selfish　conviction　that　he　was　more　SECURE　with　the

physically　and　mentally　incompetent；　from　some　active　sympathy　with

active　wickedness；　or　from　a　grim　sense　of　his　own　mental

superiority　at　such　moments。　　But　the　general　belief　leant　toward

his　kindred　sympathy　as　a　〃yaller　dog〃　with　all　that　was

disreputable。　　And　this　was　supported　by　another　very　si