masterman ready-第53章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Before　they　were　in　bed；　the　dog　returned　with　the　answer。

〃How　fast　he　must　run；　Ready！　he　has　not　been　away　more　than　two　hours。〃

〃No。　So；　now；　Remus；　you　shall　have　plenty　of　supper；　and　plenty　of　patting　and　coaxing；　for　you　are　a　clever；　good　little　dog。〃

The　next　day；　as　they　had　to　take　the　two　cargoes　up　to　the　house；　they　could　only　make　one　trip　to　the　cove。　On　Saturday　they　only　made　one　trip；　as　they　had　to　return　to　the　tents；　which　they　did　by　water；　having　first　put　a　turtle　into　the　boat；　on　their　arrival；　they　found　them　all　at　the　little　harbour；　waiting　to　receive　them。

〃Well；　William；　you　did　keep　your　promise　and　send　me　a　letter　by　post；〃　said　Mrs。　Seagrave。　〃How　very　delightful　it　is！　I　shall　have　no　fear　now　when　you　are　all　away。〃

〃I　must　teach　Romulus　and　Vixen　to　do　the　same；　mamma。〃

〃And　I'll　teach　the　puppies；〃　said　Tommy。

〃Yes；　Tommy；　by　the　time　you　can　write　a　letter；　the　puppies　will　be　old　enough　to　carry　it；〃　said　Ready。　〃Come；　Albert；　I'll　carry　you　up；　you　and　I　haven't　had　a　game　of　play　for　a　long　while。　How　does　the　ditch　and　hedge　get　on；　Mr。　Seagrave？〃

〃Pretty　well；　Ready；〃　replied　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃I　have　nearly　finished　two　sides。　I　think　by　the　end　of　next　week　I　shall　have　pretty　well　inclosed　it。〃

〃Well；　sir；　you　must　not　work　too　hard；　there　is　no　great　hurry；　William　and　I　can　get　through　a　great　deal　together。〃

〃It　is　my　duty　to　work；　Ready；　and　I　may　add；　it　is　a　pleasure。〃

As　they　were　at　supper　the　conversation　turned　upon　the　cleverness　shown　by　the　dog　Remus。

Mr。　Seagrave　narrated　many　instances　of　the　sagacity　of　animals；　when　William　asked　the　question　of　his　father：　〃What　is　the　difference　then　between　reason　and　instinct？〃

〃The　difference　is　very　great；　William；　as　I　will　explain　to　you；　but　I　must　first　observe；　that　it　has　been　the　custom　to　say　that　man　is　governed　by　reason；　and　animals　by　instinct；　alone。　This　is　an　error。　Man　has　instinct　as　well　as　reason；　and　animals；　although　chiefly　governed　by　instinct；　have　reasoning　powers。〃

〃In　what　points　does　man　show　that　he　is　led　by　instinct？〃

〃When　a　child　is　first　born；　William；　it　acts　by　instinct　only：　the　reasoning　powers　are　not　yet　developed；　as　we　grow　up；　our　reason　becomes　every　day　more　matured；　and　gains　the　mastery　over　our　instinct；　which　decreases　in　proportion。〃

〃Then　when　we　have　grown　to　a　good　old　age；　I　suppose　we　have　no　instinct　left　in　us？〃

〃Not　so；　my　dear　boy；　there　is　one　and　a　most　powerful　instinct　implanted　in　man　which　never　deserts　him　on　this　side　of　the　grave。　It　is　the　fear；　not　of　death；　but　of　utter　annihilation；　that　of　becoming　nothing　after　death。　This　instinctive　feeling　could　not　have　been　so　deeply　implanted　in　us；　but　as　an　assurance　that　we　shall　not　be　annihilated　after　death；　but　that　our　souls　shall　still　exist；　although　our　bodies　shall　have　perished。　It　may　be　termed　the　instinctive　evidence　of　a　future　existence。〃

〃That　is　very　true；　Mr。　Seagrave；〃　observed　Ready。

〃Instinct　in　animals；　William；〃　continued　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃is　a　feeling　which　compels　them　to　perform　certain　acts　without　previous　thought　or　reflection；　this　instinct　is　in　full　force　at　the　moment　of　their　birth；　it　was　therefore　perfect　in　the　beginning；　and　has　never　varied。　The　swallow　built　her　nest；　the　spider　its　web；　the　bee　formed　its　comb；　precisely　in　the　same　way　four　thousand　years　ago；　as　they　do　now。　I　may　here　observe；　that　one　of　the　greatest　wonders　of　instinct　is　the　mathematical　form　of　the　honeycomb　of　the　bee；　which　has　been　proved　by　demonstration　to　be　that　by　which　is　given　the　greatest　possible　saving　of　time　and　labour。〃

〃But　that　is　all　pure　instinct；　papa；　now　you　said　that　animals　had　reasoning　powers。　Will　you　point　out　to　me　how　they　show　that　they　have？〃

〃I　will；　my　dear　boy；　but　we　had　better　defer　it　till　another　evening。　It　is　now　time　to　go　to　bed。〃



Chapter　LIV

The　following　day；　being　Sunday；　was　devoted　to　the　usual　religious　exercises。　Tommy　stole　away　out　of　the　tent；　while　Mr。　Seagrave　was　reading　a　sermon；　to　have　a　peep　at　the　turtle…soup；　which　was　boiling　on　the　fire；　however；　Juno　suspected　him；　and　had　hold　of　him　just　as　he　was　taking　the　lid　off　the　pot。　He　was　well　scolded；　and　very　much　frightened　lest　he　should　have　no　soup　for　his　dinner；　however；　as　it　was　not　a　very　heavy　offence；　he　was　forgiven。

In　the　evening；　William　requested　his　father　to　renew　the　conversation　about　the　reasoning　powers　of　animals。

〃With　pleasure；　William；〃　replied　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃it　is　a　fit　discourse　for　a　Sunday　evening。　Let　us；　however；　first　examine　the　various　mental　faculties　discoverable　in　animals。　In　the　first　place；　they　have　memory；　especially　memory　of　persons　and　places；　quite　as　tenacious　as　our　own。　A　dog　will　recognize　an　old　master　after　many　years　absence。　An　elephant；　who　had　again　escaped　into　the　woods；　after　twenty　years　remaining　in　a　wild　state；　recognized　his　old　mahoot；　or　driver。　A　dog　will　find　his　way　back　when　taken　more　than　a　hundred　miles　from　his　master's　residence。　Another　proof　of　memory　in　animals；　were　it　required；　is　that　they　dream。　Now；　a　dream　is　a　confused　recollection　of　past　events；　and　how　often　do　you　not　hear　Romulus　and　Remus　growling；　barking；　and　whining　in　their　sleep！〃

〃Very　true；　papa。〃

〃Well；　then；　they　have　attention。　See　how　patiently　a　cat　will　remain　for　hours　before　a　hole；　in　watch　for　the　mouse　to　come　out。　A　spider　will　remain　for　months　watching　for　the　fly　to　enter　its　web；　but　this　quality　is　to　be　observed　in　every　animal　in　the　pursuit　of　its　prey。　They　have　also　association　of　ideas；　which　is；　in　fact；　reasoning。　A　dog　proves　that；　he　will　allow　a　gentleman　to　come　up　to　the　door；　but　fly　at　a　beggar。　When　he　is　in　charge　of　any　property　he　will　take　no　notice　of　a　passer…by；　but　if　a　man　stops；　he　barks　immediately。　In　the　elephant　this　association　of　ideas　is　even　more　remarkable；　indeed；　he　understands　what　is　said　to　him　better　than　any　other　animal；　his　reasoning　powers　are　most　extraordinary。　Promise　him　rewards；　and　he　will　make　wonderful　exertion。　He　is　also　extremely　alive　to　a　sense　of　shame。　The　elephants　were　employed　to　transport　the　heavy　artillery　in　India。　One　of　the　finest　attempted　in　vain　to　force　a　gun　through　a　swamp。　‘Take　away　that　lazy　beast；'　said　the　director　‘and　bring　another。'　The　animal　was　so　stung　with　the　reproach；　that　it　used　so　much　exertion　to　force　the　gun　on　with　its　head；　as　to　fracture　its　skull；　and　it　fell　dead。　When　Chunee；　the　elephant　which　was　so　long　in　Exeter　Change；　was　ordered　as　usual　to　take　up　a　sixpence　with　his　trunk；　it　happened　one　day　that　the　sixpence　rolled　against　the　skirting…board；　out　of　his　reach。　Chunee　stopped；　and　reflected　a　little　while；　and　then；　drawing　the　air　into　his　trunk；　he　threw　it　out　with　all　his　force　against　the　skirting…board；　the　rebound　of　the　air　from　the　skirting…board　blew　the　sixpence　towards　him；　and　he　was　enabled　to　reach　it。〃

〃That　was　very　clever　of　him；〃　replied　William。

〃Yes；　it　was　a　proof　of　thought；　with　a　knowledge　of　cause　and　effect。　There　was　a　curious　instance　of　a　horse；　which；　by　the　bye；　I　consider　the　most　noble　animal　of　creation；　which　was　ridden　round　by　his　master；　to　deliver　newspapers。　He　invariably　stopped　at　the　doors　where　papers　were　to　be　left；　but　it　happened　that　two　people；　living　at　different　houses；　took　in　a　weekly　newspaper　between　them；　and　it　was　agreed；　that　one　should　have　the　first　reading　of　it　on　one　week；　and　the　other　on　the　following。　After　a　short　time　the　horse　became　accustomed　to　this　arrangement；　and　stopped　at　the　one　house　on　the　one　week；　and　at　the　other　house　on　the　following；　never　making　a　mistake。〃

〃That　was　very　curious；　what　a　sagacious　animal　he　must　have　been！〃　observed　William。

〃Animals　also　are；　as　you　know；　capable　of　receiving　instruction；　which　is　another　proof　of　reasoning　powers。　The　elephant；　the　horse；　the　dog；　the　pig；　even　birds　may　be　taught　a　great　deal。〃

〃But　then；　papa；　I　still　wish　to　know　where　the　line　is　to　be　drawn　between　reason　and　instinct。〃

〃I　was　about　to　come　to　that　very　point；　William。　When　animals　follow　their　instinct　in　providing　their　f