bruce-第10章

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along　with　his　fist；　in　an　instinctive　kick。　The　kick　did　not

reach　Bruce。　But　it　landed；　full　and　effectively；　on　the

accelerator。



The　powerful　car　responded　to　the　touch　with　a　bound。　And　it　did

so　at　the　very　moment　that　the　flash　of　white　teeth　at　his　throat

made　Halding　snatch　his　own　left　hand　instinctively　from　the

steering…wheel；　in　order　to　guard　the　threatened　spot。



A　second　later　the　runabout　crashed　at　full　speed　into　the　wall

of　a　house　on　the　narrow　street's　opposite　side。



The　rest　was　chaos。



When　a　crowd　of　idlers　and　a　policeman　at　last　righted　the

wrecked　car；　two　bodies　were　found　huddled　inertly　amid　a　junk…

heap　of　splintered　glass　and　shivered　wood　and　twisted　metal。　The

local　ambulance　carried　away　one　of　these　limp　bodies。　The

Place's　car　rushed　the　smash…up's　other　senseless　victim　to　the

office　of　the　nearest　veterinary。　Dr。　Halding；　with　a　shattered

shoulder…blade　and　a　fractured　nose　and　jaw　and　a　mild　case　of

brain…concussion；was　received　as　a　guest　of　honor　at　the

village　hospital。



Bruce；　his　left　foreleg　broken　and　a　nasty　assortment　of　glass…

cuts　marring　the　fluffiness　of　his　fur；　was　skillfully　patched　up

by　the　vet'　and　carried　back　that　night　to　The　Place。



The　puppy　had　suddenly　taken　on　a　new　value　in　his　owners'　eyes

partly　for　his　gallantly　puny　effort　at　defending　the　Mistress；

partly　because　of　his　pitiful　condition。　And　he　was　nursed；　right

zealously；　back　to　life　and　health。



In　a　few　weeks；　the　plaster　cast　on　the　convalescent's　broken

foreleg　had　been　replaced　by　a　bandage。　In　another　week　or　two

the　vet'　pronounced　Bruce　as　well　as　ever。　The　dog；　through

habit；　still　held　the　mended　foreleg　off　the　ground；　even　after

the　bandage　was　removed。　Whereat；　the　Master　tied　a　bandage

tightly　about　the　uninjured　foreleg。



Bruce　at　once　decided　that　this；　and　not　the　other；　was　the　lame

leg；　and　he　began　forthwith　to　limp　on　it。　As　it　was　manifestly

impossible　to　keep　both　forelegs　off　the　ground　at　the　same　time

when　he　was　walking；　he　was　forced　to　make　use　of　the　once…broken

leg。　Finding；　to　his　amaze；　that　he　could　walk　on　it　with　perfect

ease；　he　devoted　his　limping　solely　to　the　well　leg。　And　as　soon

as　the　Master　took　the　bandage　from　that；　Bruce　ceased　to　limp　at

all。



Meanwhile；　a　lawyer；　whose　name　sounded　as　though　it　had　been

culled　from　a　Rhine　Wine　list；　had　begun　suit；　in　Dr。　Halding's

name；　against　the　Mistress；　as　a　〃contributory　cause〃　of　his

client's　accident。　The　suit　never　came　to　trial。　It　was　dropped；

indeed；　with　much　haste。　Not　from　any　change　of　heart　on　the

plaintiff's　behalf；　but　because；　at　that　juncture；　Dr。　Halding

chanced　to　be　arrested　and　interned　as　a　dangerous　Enemy　Alien。

Our　country　had　recently　declared　war　on　Germany；　and　the　belated

spy…hunt　was　up。



During　the　Federal　officers'　search　of　the　doctor's　house；　for

treasonable　documents　（of　which　they　found　an　ample　supply）；　they

came　upon　his　laboratory。　No　fewer　than　five　dogs；　in　varying

stages　of　hideous　torture；　were　found　strapped　to　tables　or

hanging　to　wall…hooks。　The　vivisector　bewailed；　loudly　and

gutturally；　this　cruel　interruption　to　his　researches　in

Science's　behalf。



One　day；　two　months　after　the　accident；　Bruce　stood　on　all　four

feet　once　more；　with　no　vestige　left　of　scars　or　of　lameness。　And

then；　for　the　first　time；　a　steady　change　that　had　been　so　slow

as　to　escape　any　one's　notice　dawned　upon　the　Mistress　and　the

Master。　It　struck　them　both　at　the　same　moment。　And　they　stared

dully　at　their　pet。



The　shapeless；　bumptious；　foolish　Pest　of　two　months　ago　had

vanished。　In　his　place；　by　a　very　normal　process　of　nature…magic；

stood　a　magnificently　stately　thoroughbred　collie。



The　big　head　had　tapered　symmetrically；　and　had　lost　its　puppy

formlessness。　It　was　now　a　head　worthy　of　Landseer's　own　pencil。

The　bonily　awkward　body　had　lengthened　and　had　lost　its　myriad

knobs　and　angles。　It　had　grown　massively　graceful。



The　former　thatch　of　half…curly　and　indeterminately　yellowish

fuzz　had　changed　to　a　rough　tawny　coat；　wavy　and　unbelievably

heavy；　stippled　at　the　ends　with　glossy　black。　There　was　a

strange　depth　and　repose　and　Soul　in　the　dark　eyesyes；　and　a

keen　intelligence；　too。



It　was　the　old　story　of　the　Ugly　Duckling；　all　over　again。



〃Why！〃　gasped　the　Mistress。　〃He'she's　BEAUTIFUL！　And　I　never

knew　it。〃



At　her　loved　voice　the　great　dog　moved　across　to　where　she　sat。

Lightly　he　laid　one　little　white　paw　on　her　knee　and　looked

gravely　up　into　her　eyes。



〃He's　got　sense；　too；〃　chimed　in　the　Master。　〃Look　at　those　eyes；

if　you　doubt　it。　They're　alive　with　intelligence。　It'sit's　a

miracle！　He　can't　be　the　same　worthless　whelp　I　wanted　to　get　rid

of！　He　CAN'T！〃



And　he　was　not。　The　long　illness；　at　the　most　formative　time　of

the　dog's　growth；　had　done　its　work　in　developing　what；　all　the

time；　had　lain　latent。　The　same　illnessand　the　long…enforced

personal　touch　with　humanshad　done　an　equally　transforming　work

on　the　puppy's　undeveloped　mind。　The　Thackeray…Washington…

Lincoln…Bismarck　simile　had　held　good。



What　looked　like　a　miracle　was　no　more　than　the　same　beautifully

simple　process　which　Nature　enacts　every　day；　when　she　changes　an

awkward　and　dirt…colored　cygnet　into　a　glorious　swan　or　a　leggily

gawky　colt　into　a　superb　Derby…winner。　But　Bruce's　metamorphosis

seemed　none　the　less　wonderful　in　the　eyes　of　the　two　people　who

had　learned　to　love　him。



Somewhere　in　the　hideous　wreck　of　Dr。　Halding's　motorcar　the　dog

had　found　a　souland　the　rest　had　followed　as　a　natural　course

of　growth。



At　the　autumn　dog…show；　in　Hampton；　a　〃dark…sable…and…white〃

collie　of　unwonted　size　and　beauty　walked　proudly　into　the　ring

close　to　the　Mistress's　side；　when　the　puppy　class　was　calleda

class　that　includes　all　dogs　under　twelve　months　old。　Six　minutes

later　the　Mistress　was　gleesomely　accepting　the　first…prize　blue

ribbon；　for　〃best　puppy；〃　from　Judge　Symonds'　own　gnarled　hand。



Then　came　the　other　classes　for　collies〃Novice；〃　〃Open；〃

〃Limit；〃　〃Local；〃　〃American　Bred。〃　And　as　Bruce　paced

majestically　out　of　the　ring　at　last；　he　was　the　possessor　of

five　more　blue　ribbonsas　well　as　the　blue　Winner's　rosette；　for

〃best　collie　in　the　show。〃



〃Great　dog　you've　got　there；　madam！〃　commented　Symonds　in　solemn

approval　as　he　handed　the　Winner's　rosette　to　the　Mistress。　〃Fine

dog　in　every　way。　Fine　promise。　He　will　go　far。　One　of　the　best

types　I've〃



〃Do　you　really　think　so？〃　sweetly　replied　the　Mistress。　〃Why；　one

of　the　foremost　collie　judges　in　America　has　gone　on　record　as

calling　him　a　'measly　St。　Bernard　monstrosity。'〃



〃No？〃　snorted　Symonds；　incredulous。　〃You　don't　say　so！　A　judge

who　would　speak　so；　of　that　dog；　doesn't　understand　his　business。

He〃



〃Oh；　yes；　he　does！〃　contradicted　the　Mistress；　glancing　lovingly

at　her　handful　of　blue　ribbons。　〃I　think　he　understands　his

business　very　well　indeedNOW！〃







CHAPTER　III。　The　War　Dog



The　guest　had　decided　to　wait　until　next　morning；　before　leaving

The　Place；　instead　of　following　his　first　plan　of　taking　a　night

train　to　New　York。　He　was　a　captain　in　our　regular　army　and　had

newly　come　back　from　France　to　forget　an　assortment　of　shrapnel

bites　and　to　teach　practical　tactics　to　rookies。



He　reached　his　decision　to　remain　over　night　at　The　Place　while

he　and　the　Mistress　and　the　Master　were　sitting　on　the　vine…hung

west　veranda　after　dinner；　watching　the　flood　of　sunset　change

the　lake　to　molten　gold　and　the　sky　to　pink　fire。　It　would　be

pleasant　to　steal　another　few　hours　at　this　back…country　House　of

Peace　before　returning　to　the　humdrum　duties　of　camp。　And　the

guest　yielded　to　the　temptation。



〃I'm　mighty　glad　you　can　stay　over　till　morning；〃　said　the

Master。　〃I'll　send　word　to　Roberts　not　to　bring　up　the　car。〃



As　he　spoke；　he　scrawled　a　penciled　li