michael, brother of jerry-第50章

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ver　there　at　Billy　Green。　　There　ain't　another　way　to　teach　that　dog　that　trick。　　You　can't　love　her　into　doing　it。　　You　can't　pay　her　to　do　it。　　There's　only　one　way；　and　that's　MAKE　her。〃

Billy　Green；　at　the　moment；　was　training　a　tiny；　nondescript；　frizzly…haired　dog。　　Always；　on　the　stage；　he　made　a　hit　by　drawing　from　his　pocket　a　tiny　dog　that　would　do　this　particular　trick。　　The　last　one　had　died　from　a　wrenched　back；　and　he　was　now　breaking　in　a　new　one。　　He　was　catching　the　little　mite　by　the　hind…legs　and　tossing　it　up　in　the　air；　where；　making　a　half…flip　and　descending　head　first；　it　was　supposed　to　alight　with　its　fore…feet　on　his　hand　and　there　balance　itself；　its　hind　feet　and　body　above　it　in　the　air。　　Again　and　again　he　stooped；　caught　her　hind…legs　and　flung　her　up　into　the　half…turn。　　Almost　frozen　with　fear；　she　vainly　strove　to　effect　the　trick。　　Time　after　time；　and　every　time；　she　failed　to　make　the　balance。　　Sometimes　she　fell　crumpled；　several　times　she　all　but　struck　the　ground：　　and　once；　she　did　strike；　on　her　side　and　so　hard　as　to　knock　the　breath　out　of　her。　　Her　master；　taking　advantage　of　the　moment　to　wipe　the　sweat　from　his　streaming　face；　nudged　her　about　with　his　toe　till　she　staggered　weakly　to　her　feet。

〃The　dog　was　never　born　that'd　learn　that　trick　for　the　promise　of　a　bit　of　meat；〃　Collins　went　on。　　〃Any　more　than　was　the　dog　ever　born　that'd　walk　on　its　fore…legs　without　having　its　hind…legs　rapped　up　in　the　air　with　the　stick　a　thousand　times。　　Yet　you　take　that　trick　there。　　It's　always　a　winner；　especially　with　the　womenso　cunning；　you　know；　so　adorable　cute；　to　be　yanked　out　of　its　beloved　master's　pocket　and　to　have　such　trust　and　confidence　in　him　as　to　allow　herself　to　be　tossed　around　that　way。　　Trust　and　confidence　hell！　　He's　put　the　fear　of　God　into　her；　that's　what。〃

〃Just　the　same；　to　dig　a　dainty　out　of　your　pocket　once　in　a　while　and　give　an　animal　a　nibble；　always　makes　a　hit　with　the　audience。　That's　about　all　it's　good　for；　yet　it's　a　good　stunt。　　Audiences　like　to　believe　that　the　animals　enjoy　doing　their　tricks；　and　that　they　are　treated　like　pampered　darlings；　and　that　they　just　love　their　masters　to　death。　　But　God　help　all　of　us　and　our　meal　tickets　if　the　audiences　could　see　behind　the　scenes。　　Every　trained…animal　turn　would　be　taken　off　the　stage　instanter；　and　we'd　be　all　hunting　for　a　job。〃

〃Yes；　and　there's　rough　stuff　no　end　pulled　off　on　the　stage　right　before　the　audience's　eyes。　　The　best　fooler　I　ever　saw　was　Lottie's。　　She　had　a　bunch　of　trained　cats。　　She　loved　them　to　death　right　before　everybody；　especially　if　a　trick　wasn't　going　good。　　What'd　she　do？　　She'd　take　that　cat　right　up　in　her　arms　and　kiss　it。　　And　when　she　put　it　down　it'd　perform　the　trick　all　right　all　right；　while　the　audience　applauded　its　silly　head　off　for　the　kindness　and　humaneness　she'd　shown。　　Kiss　it？　　Did　she？　I'll　tell　you　what　she　did。　　She　bit　its　nose。〃

〃Eleanor　Pavalo　learned　the　trick　from　Lottie；　and　used　it　herself　on　her　toy　dogs。　　And　many　a　dog　works　on　the　stage　in　a　spiked　collar；　and　a　clever　man　can　twist　a　dog's　nose　and　nobody　in　the　audience　any　the　wiser。　　But　it's　the　fear　that　counts。　　It's　what　the　dog　knows　he'll　get　afterward　when　the　turn's　over　that　keeps　most　of　them　straight。〃

〃Remember　Captain　Roberts　and　his　great　Danes。　　They　weren't　pure…　breds；　though。　　He　must　have　had　a　dozen　of　themtoughest　bunch　of　brutes　I　ever　saw。　　He　boarded　them　here　twice。　　You　couldn't　go　among　them　without　a　club　in　your　hand。　　I　had　a　Mexican　lad　laid　up　by　them。　　He　was　a　tough　one；　too。　　But　they　got　him　down　and　nearly　ate　him。　　The　doctors　took　over　forty　stitches　in　him　and　shot　him　full　of　that　Pasteur　dope　for　hydrophobia。　　And　he　always　will　limp　with　his　right　leg　from　what　the　dogs　did　to　him。　I　tell　you；　they　were　the　limit。　　And　yet；　every　time　the　curtain　went　up；　Captain　Roberts　brought　the　house　down　with　the　first　stunt。　　Those　dogs　just　flocked　all　over　him；　loving　him　to　death；　from　the　looks　of　it。　　And　were　they　loving　him？　　They　hated　him。　I've　seen　him；　right　here　in　the　cage　at　Cedarwild；　wade　into　them　with　a　club　and　whale　the　stuffing　impartially　out　of　all　of　them。　Sure；　they　loved　him　not。　　Just　a　bit　of　the　same　old　aniseed　was　what　he　used。　　He'd　soak　small　pieces　of　meat　in　aniseed　oil　and　stick　them　in　his　pockets。　　But　that　stunt　would　only　work　with　a　bunch　of　giant　dogs　like　his。　　It　was　their　size　that　got　it　across。　　Had　they　been　a　lot　of　ordinary　dogs　it　would　have　looked　silly。　　And；　besides；　they　didn't　do　their　regular　tricks　for　aniseed。　　They　did　it　for　Captain　Roberts's　club。　　He　was　a　tough　bird　himself。〃

〃He　used　to　say　that　the　art　of　training　animals　was　the　art　of　inspiring　them　with　fear。　　One　of　his　assistants　told　me　a　nasty　one　about　him　afterwards。　　They　had　an　off　month　in　Los　Angeles；　and　Captain　Roberts　got　it　into　his　head　he　was　going　to　make　a　dog　balance　a　silver　dollar　on　the　neck　of　a　champagne　bottle。　Now　just　think　that　over　and　try　to　see　yourself　loving　a　dog　into　doing　it。　　The　assistant　said　he　wore　out　about　as　many　sticks　as　dogs；　and　that　he　wore　out　half　a　dozen　dogs。　　He　used　to　get　them　from　the　public　pound　at　two　and　a　half　apiece；　and　every　time　one　died　he　had　another　ready　and　waiting。　　And　he　succeeded　with　the　seventh　dog。　　I'm　telling　you；　it　learned　to　balance　a　dollar　on　the　neck　of　a　bottle。　　And　it　died　from　the　effects　of　the　learning　within　a　week　after　he　put　it　on　the　stage。　　Abscesses　in　the　lungs；　from　the　stick。〃

〃There　was　an　Englishman　came　over　when　I　was　a　youngster。　　He　had　ponies；　monkeys；　and　dogs。　　He　bit　the　monkey's　ears；　so　that；　on　the　stage；　all　he　had　to　do　was　to　make　a　move　as　if　he　was　going　to　bite　and　they'd　quit　their　fooling　and　be　good。　　He　had　a　big　chimpanzee　that　was　a　winner。　　It　could　turn　four　somersaults　as　fast　as　you　could　count　on　the　back　of　a　galloping　pony；　and　he　used　to　have　to　give　it　a　real　licking　about　twice　a　week。　　And　sometimes　the　lickings　were　too　stiff；　and　the　monkey'd　get　sick　and　have　to　lay　off。　　But　the　owner　solved　the　problem。　　He　got　to　giving　him　a　little　licking；　a　mere　taste　of　the　stick；　regular；　just　before　the　turn　came　on。　　And　that　did　it　in　his　case；　though　with　some　other　case　the　monkey　most　likely　would　have　got　sullen　and　not　acted　at　all。〃

It　was　on　that　day　that　Harris　Collins　sold　a　valuable　bit　of　information　to　a　lion　man　who　needed　it。　　It　was　off　time　for　him；　and　his　three　lions　were　boarding　at　Cedarwild。　　Their　turn　was　an　exciting　and　even　terrifying　one；　when　viewed　from　the　audience；　for；　jumping　about　and　roaring；　they　were　made　to　appear　as　if　about　to　destroy　the　slender　little　lady　who　performed　with　them　and　seemed　to　hold　them　in　subjection　only　by　her　indomitable　courage　and　a　small　riding…switch　in　her　hand。

〃The　trouble　is　they're　getting　too　used　to　it；〃　the　man　complained。　　〃Isadora　can't　prod　them　up　any　more。　　They　just　won't　make　a　showing。〃

〃I　know　them；〃　Collins　nodded。　　〃They're　pretty　old　now；　and　they're　spirit…broken　besides。　　Take　old　Sark　there。　　He's　had　so　many　blank　cartridges　fired　into　his　ears　that　he's　stone　deaf。　And　Selimhe　lost　his　heart　with　his　teeth。　　A　Portuguese　fellow　who　was　handling　him　for　the　Barnum　and　Bailey　show　did　that　for　him。　　You've　heard？〃

〃I've　often　wondered；〃　the　man　shook　his　head。　　〃It　must　have　been　a　smash。〃

〃It　was。　　The　Portuguese　did　it　with　an　iron　bar。　　Selim　was　sulky　and　took　a　swipe　at　him　with　his　paw；　and　he　whopped　it　to　him　full　in　the　mouth　just　as　he　opened　it　to　let　out　a　roar。　　He　told　me　about　it　himself。　　Said　Selim's　teeth　rattled　on　the　floor　like　dominoes。　　But　he　shouldn't　have　done　it。　　It　was　destroying　valuable　property。　　Anyway；　they　fired　him　for　it。〃

〃Well；　all　three　of　them　ain't　worth　much　to　me　now；〃　said　their　owner。　　〃They　won't　play　up　to　Isadora　in　that　roaring　and　rampaging　at　the　end。　　It　really　made　the　turn。　　It　was　our　finale；　and　we　always　got　a　great　hand　for　it。　　Say；　what　am　I　going　to　do　about　it　anyway？　　Ditch　it？　　Or　get　some　young　lions？〃

〃Isadora　would　be　safer　with　the　old　ones；〃　Collins　said。

〃Too　safe；〃　Isadora's　husband　objected。　　〃Of　cou