michael, brother of jerry-第57章

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And　yet　Michael　was　a　prisoner；　a　life…prisoner。　　Fed　well；　bathed　well；　exercised　well；　he　never　knew　a　moment　of　freedom。　　When　travelling；　days　and　nights　he　spent　in　the　cage；　which；　however；　was　generous　enough　to　allow　him　to　stand　at　full　height　and　to　turn　around　without　too　uncomfortable　squirming。　　Sometimes；　in　hotels　in　country　towns；　out　of　the　crate　he　shared　Henderson's　room　with　him。　　Otherwise；　unless　other　animals　were　hewing　on　the　same　circuit　time；　he　had；　outside　his　cage；　the　freedom　of　the　animal　room　attached　to　the　particular　theatre　where　he　performed　for　from　three　days　to　a　week。

But　there　was　never　a　chance；　never　a　moment；　when　he　might　run　free　of　a　cage　about　him；　of　the　walls　of　a　room　restricting　him；　of　a　chain　shackled　to　the　collar　about　his　throat。　　In　good　weather；　in　the　afternoons；　Henderson　often　took　him　for　a　walk。　But　always　it　was　at　the　end　of　a　chain。　　And　almost　always　the　way　led　to　some　park；　where　Henderson　fastened　the　other　end　of　the　chain　to　the　bench　on　which　he　sat　and　browsed　Swedenborg。　Not　one　act　of　free　agency　was　left　to　Michael。　　Other　dogs　ran　free；　playing　with　one　another；　or　behaving　bellicosely。　　If　they　approached　him　for　purposes　of　investigation　or　acquaintance；　Henderson　invariably　ceased　from　his　reading　long　enough　to　drive　them　away。

A　life　prisoner　to　a　lifeless　gaoler；　life　was　all　grey　to　Michael。　　His　moroseness　changed　to　a　deep…seated　melancholy。　　He　ceased　to　be　interested　in　life　and　in　the　freedom　of　life。　　Not　that　he　regarded　the　play　of　life　about　him　with　a　jaundiced　eye；　but；　rather；　that　his　eyes　became　unseeing。　　Debarred　from　life；　he　ignored　life。　　He　permitted　himself　to　become　a　sheer　puppet　slave；　eating；　taking　his　baths；　travelling　in　his　cage；　performing　regularly；　and　sleeping　much。

He　had　pridethe　pride　of　the　thoroughbred；　the　pride　of　the　North　American　Indian　enslaved　on　the　plantations　of　the　West　Indies　who　died　uncomplaining　and　unbroken。　　So　Michael。　　He　submitted　to　the　cage　and　the　iron　of　the　chain　because　they　were　too　strong　for　his　muscles　and　teeth。　　He　did　his　slave…task　of　performance　and　rendered　obedience　to　Jacob　Henderson；　but　he　neither　loved　nor　feared　that　master。　　And　because　of　this　his　spirit　turned　in　on　itself。　　He　slept　much；　brooded　much；　and　suffered　unprotestingly　a　great　loneliness。　　Had　Henderson　made　a　bid　for　his　heart；　he　would　surely　have　responded；　but　Henderson　had　a　heart　only　for　the　fantastic　mental　gyrations　of　Swedenborg；　and　merely　made　his　living　out　of　Michael。

Sometimes　there　were　hardships。　　Michael　accepted　them。　Especially　hard　did　he　find　railroad　travel　in　winter…time；　when；　on　occasion；　fresh　from　the　last　night's　performance　in　a　town；　he　remained　for　hours　in　his　crate　on　a　truck　waiting　for　the　train　that　would　take　him　to　the　next　town　of　performance。　　There　was　a　night　on　a　station　platform　in　Minnesota；　when　two　dogs　of　a　troupe；　on　the　next　truck　to　his；　froze　to　death。　　He　was　himself　well　frosted；　and　the　cold　bit　abominably　into　his　shoulder　wounded　by　the　leopard；　but　a　better　constitution　and　better　general　care　of　him　enabled　him　to　survive。

Compared　with　other　show　animals；　he　was　well　treated。　　And　much　of　the　ill…treatment　accorded　other　animals　on　the　same　turn　with　him　he　did　not　comprehend　or　guess。　　One　turn；　with　which　he　played　for　three　months；　was　a　scandal　amongst　all　vaudeville　performers。　　Even　the　hardiest　of　them　heartily　disliked　the　turn　and　the　man；　although　Duckworth；　and　Duckworth's　Trained　Cats　and　Rats；　were　an　invariable　popular　success。

〃Trained　cats！〃　sniffed　dainty　little　Pearl　La　Pearle；　the　bicyclist。　　〃Crushed　cats；　that's　what　they　are。　　All　the　cat　has　been　beaten　out　of　their　blood；　and　they've　become　rats。　　You　can't　tell　me。　　I　know。〃

〃Trained　rats！〃　Manuel　Fonseca；　the　contortionist；　exploded　in　the　bar…room　of　the　Hotel　Annandale；　after　refusing　to　drink　with　Duckworth。　　〃Doped　rats；　believe　me。　　Why　don't　they　jump　off　when　they　crawl　along　the　tight　rope　with　a　cat　in　front　and　a　cat　behind？　　Because　they　ain't　got　the　life　in　'm　to　jump。　　They're　doped；　straight　doped　when　they're　fresh；　and　starved　afterward　so　as　to　making　a　saving　on　the　dope。　　They　never　are　fed。　　You　can't　tell　me。　　I　know。　　Else　why　does　he　use　up　anywhere　to　forty　or　fifty　rats　a　week！　　I　know　his　express　shipments；　when　he　can't　buy　'm　in　the　towns。〃

〃My　Gawd！〃　protested　Miss　Merle　Merryweather；　the　Accordion　Girl；　who　looked　like　sixteen　on　the　stage；　but　who；　in　private　life　among　her　grand…children；　acknowledged　forty…eight。　　〃My　Gawd；　how　the　public　can　fall　for　it　gets　my　honest…to…Gawd　goat。　　I　looked　myself　yesterday　morning　early。　　Out　of　thirty　rats　there　were　seven　dead；starved　to　death。　　He　never　feeds　them。　　They're　dying　rats；　dying　of　starvation；　when　they　crawl　along　that　rope。　That's　why　they　crawl。　　If　they　had　a　bit　of　bread　and　cheese　in　their　tummies　they'd　jump　and　run　to　get　away　from　the　cats。　They're　dying；　they're　dying　right　there　on　the　rope；　trying　to　crawl　as　a　dying　man　would　try　to　crawl　away　from　a　tiger　that　was　eating　him。　　And　my　Gawd！　　The　bonehead　audience　sits　there　and　applauds　the　show　as　an　educational　act！〃

But　the　audience！　　〃Wonderful　things　kindness　will　do　with　animals；〃　said　a　member　of　one；　a　banker　and　a　deacon。　　〃Even　human　love　can　be　taught　to　them　by　kindness。　　The　cat　and　the　rat　have　been　enemies　since　the　world　began。　　Yet　here；　tonight；　we　have　seen　them　doing　highly　trained　feats　together；　and　neither　a　cat　committed　one　hostile　or　overt　act　against　a　rat；　nor　ever　a　rat　showed　it　was　afraid　of　a　cat。　　Human　kindness！　　The　power　of　human　kindness！〃

〃The　lion　and　the　lamb；〃　said　another。　　〃We　have　it　that　when　the　millennium　comes　the　lion　and　the　lamb　will　lie　down　togetherand　outside　each　other；　my　dear；　outside　each　other。　　And　this　is　a　forecast；　a　proving　up；　by　man；　ahead　of　the　day。　　Cats　and　rats！　Think　of　it。　　And　it　shows　conclusively　the　power　of　kindness。　　I　shall　see　to　it　at　once　that　we　get　pets　for　our　own　children；　our　palm　branches。　　They　shall　learn　kindness　early；　to　the　dog；　the　cat；　yes；　even　the　rat；　and　the　pretty　linnet　in　its　cage。〃

〃But；〃　said　his　dear；　beside　him；　〃you　remember　what　Blake　said：


〃'A　Robin　Redbreast　in　a　cage　Puts　all　heaven　in　a　rage。'〃


〃Ahbut　not　when　it　is　treated　truly　with　kindness；　my　dear。　　I　shall　immediately　order　some　rabbits；　and　a　canary　or　two；　and　what　sort　of　a　dog　would　you　prefer　our　dear　little　ones　to　have　to　play　with；　my　sweet？〃

And　his　dear　looked　at　him　in　all　his　imperturbable；　complacent　self…consciousness　of　kindness；　and　saw　herself　the　little　rural　school…teacher　who；　with　Ella　Wheeler　Wilcox　and　Lord　Byron　as　her　idols；　and　with　the　dream　of　herself　writing　〃Poems　of　Passion；〃　had　come　up　to　Topeka　Town　to　be　beaten　by　the　game　into　marrying　the　solid；　substantial　business　man　beside　her；　who　enjoyed　delight　in　the　spectacle　of　cats　and　rats　walking　the　tight…rope　in　amity；　and　who　was　blissfully　unaware　that　she　was　the　Robin　Redbreast　in　a　cage　that　put　all　heaven　in　a　rage。

〃The　rats　are　bad　enough；〃　said　Miss　Merle　Merryweather。　　〃But　look　how　he　uses　up　the　cats。　　He's　had　three　die　on　him　in　the　last　two　weeks　to　my　certain　knowledge。　　They're　only　alley…cats；　but　they've　got　feelings。　　It's　that　boxing　match　that　does　for　them。〃

The　boxing　match；　sure　always　of　a　great　hand　from　the　audience；　invariably　concluded　Duckworth's　turn。　　Two　cats；　with　small　boxing…gloves；　were　put　on　a　table　for　a　friendly　bout。　Naturally；　the　cats　that　performed　with　the　rats　were　too　cowed　for　this。　　It　was　the　fresh　cats　he　used；　the　ones　with　spunk　and　spirit　。　。　。　until　they　lost　all　spunk　and　spirit　or　sickened　and　died。　　To　the　audience　it　was　a　side…splitting；　playful　encounter　between　four…legged　creatures　who　thus　displayed　a　ridiculous　resemblance　to　superior；　two…legged　man。　　But　it　was　not　playful　to　the　cats。　　They　were　always　excited　into　starting　a　real　fight　with　each　other　off　stage　just　before　they　were　brought　on。　　In　the　blows　they　struck　were　anger　and　pain　and　bewilderment　and　fear。　　And　the　gloves　just　would　come　off；　so　that　they　were　ripping　and　tearing　at　each