a yellow dog-第3章

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〃honest　miners〃　to　be　shown　off　in　one　of　the　front　pews。



Seated　near　the　prettiest　girls；　who　offered　us　their　hymn　books

in　the　cleanly　odor　of　fresh　pine　shavings；　and　ironed　muslin；　and

blown　over　by　the　spices　of　our　own　woods　through　the　open　windows；

a　deep　sense　of　the　abiding　peace　of　Christian　communion　settled

upon　us。　　At　this　supreme　moment　someone　murmured　in　an　awe…

stricken　whisper：



〃WILL　you　look　at　Bones？〃



We　looked。　　Bones　had　entered　the　church　and　gone　up　in　the　gallery

through　a　pardonable　ignorance　and　modesty；　but；　perceiving　his

mistake；　was　now　calmly　walking　along　the　gallery　rail　before　the

astounded　worshipers。　　Reaching　the　end；　he　paused　for　a　moment；

and　carelessly　looked　down。　　It　was　about　fifteen　feet　to　the　floor

belowthe　simplest　jump　in　the　world　for　the　mountain…bred　Bones。

Daintily；　gingerly；　lazily；　and　yet　with　a　conceited　airiness　of

manner；　as　if；　humanly　speaking；　he　had　one　leg　in　his　pocket　and

were　doing　it　on　three；　he　cleared　the　distance；　dropping　just　in

front　of　the　chancel；　without　a　sound；　turned　himself　around　three

times；　and　then　lay　comfortably　down。



Three　deacons　were　instantly　in　the　aisle；　coming　up　before　the

eminent　divine；　who；　we　fancied；　wore　a　restrained　smile。　　We　heard

the　hurried　whispers：　〃Belongs　to　them。〃　　〃Quite　a　local

institution　here；　you　know。〃　　〃Don't　like　to　offend　sensibilities；〃

and　the　minister's　prompt　〃By　no　means；〃　as　he　went　on　with　his

service。



A　short　month　ago　we　would　have　repudiated　Bones；　today　we　sat

there　in　slightly　supercilious　attitudes；　as　if　to　indicate　that

any　affront　offered　to　Bones　would　be　an　insult　to　ourselves；　and

followed　by　our　instantaneous　withdrawal　in　a　body。



All　went　well；　however；　until　the　minister；　lifting　the　large　Bible

from　the　communion　table　and　holding　it　in　both　hands　before　him；

walked　toward　a　reading　stand　by　the　altar　rails。　　Bones　uttered　a

distinct　growl。　　The　minister　stopped。



We；　and　we　alone；　comprehended　in　a　flash　the　whole　situation。　　The

Bible　was　nearly　the　size　and　shape　of　one　of　those　soft　clods　of

sod　which　we　were　in　the　playful　habit　of　launching　at　Bones　when

he　lay　half…asleep　in　the　sun；　in　order　to　see　him　cleverly　evade

it。



We　held　our　breath。　　What　was　to　be　done？　　But　the　opportunity

belonged　to　our　leader；　Jeff　Briggsa　confoundedly　good…looking

fellow；　with　the　golden　mustache　of　a　northern　viking　and　the　curls

of　an　Apollo。　　Secure　in　his　beauty　and　bland　in　his　self…conceit；

he　rose　from　the　pew；　and　stepped　before　the　chancel　rails。



〃I　would　wait　a　moment；　if　I　were　you；　sir；〃　he　said；　respectfully；

〃and　you　will　see　that　he　will　go　out　quietly。〃



〃What　is　wrong？〃　whispered　the　minister　in　some　concern。



〃He　thinks　you　are　going　to　heave　that　book　at　him；　sir；　without

giving　him　a　fair　show；　as　we　do。〃



The　minister　looked　perplexed；　but　remained　motionless；　with　the

book　in　his　hands。　　Bones　arose；　walked　halfway　down　the　aisle；　and

vanished　like　a　yellow　flash！



With　this　justification　of　his　reputation；　Bones　disappeared　for　a

week。　　At　the　end　of　that　time　we　received　a　polite　note　from　Judge

Preston；　saying　that　the　dog　had　become　quite　domiciled　in　their

house；　and　begged　that　the　camp；　without　yielding　up　their　valuable

PROPERTY　in　him；　would　allow　him　to　remain　at　Spring　Valley　for　an

indefinite　time；　that　both　the　judge　and　his　daughterwith　whom

Bones　was　already　an　old　friendwould　be　glad　if　the　members　of

the　camp　would　visit　their　old　favorite　whenever　they　desired；　to

assure　themselves　that　he　was　well　cared　for。



I　am　afraid　that　the　bait　thus　ingenuously　thrown　out　had　a　good

deal　to　do　with　our　ultimate　yielding。　　However；　the　reports　of

those　who　visited　Bones　were　wonderful　and　marvelous。　　He　was

residing　there　in　state；　lying　on　rugs　in　the　drawing…room；　coiled

up　under　the　judicial　desk　in　the　judge's　study；　sleeping　regularly

on　the　mat　outside　Miss　Pinkey's　bedroom　door；　or　lazily　snapping

at　flies　on　the　judge's　lawn。



〃He's　as　yaller　as　ever；〃　said　one　of　our　informants；　〃but　it　don't

somehow　seem　to　be　the　same　back　that　we　used　to　break　clods　over

in　the　old　time；　just　to　see　him　scoot　out　of　the　dust。〃



And　now　I　must　record　a　fact　which　I　am　aware　all　lovers　of　dogs

will　indignantly　deny；　and　which　will　be　furiously　bayed　at　by

every　faithful　hound　since　the　days　of　Ulysses。　　Bones　not　only

FORGOT；　but　absolutely　CUT　US！　　Those　who　called　upon　the　judge　in

〃store　clothes〃　he　would　perhaps　casually　notice；　but　he　would

sniff　at　them　as　if　detecting　and　resenting　them　under　their

superficial　exterior。　　The　rest　he　simply　paid　no　attention　to。

The　more　familiar　term　of　〃Bonesy〃formerly　applied　to　him；　as　in

our　rare　moments　of　endearmentproduced　no　response。　　This　pained；

I　think；　some　of　the　more　youthful　of　us；　but；　through　some　strange

human　weakness；　it　also　increased　the　camp's　respect　for　him。

Nevertheless；　we　spoke　of　him　familiarly　to　strangers　at　the　very

moment　he　ignored　us。　　I　am　afraid　that　we　also　took　some　pains　to

point　out　that　he　was　getting　fat　and　unwieldy；　and　losing　his

elasticity；　implying　covertly　that　his　choice　was　a　mistake　and　his

life　a　failure。



A　year　after；　he　died；　in　the　odor　of　sanctity　and　respectability；

being　found　one　morning　coiled　up　and　stiff　on　the　mat　outside　Miss

Pinkey's　door。　　When　the　news　was　conveyed　to　us；　we　asked

permission；　the　camp　being　in　a　prosperous　condition；　to　erect　a

stone　over　his　grave。　　But　when　it　came　to　the　inscription　we　could

only　think　of　the　two　words　murmured　to　him　by　Miss　Pinkey；　which

we　always　believe　effected　his　conversion：



〃GOOD　Dog！〃