bruce-第11章

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



As　he　spoke；　he　scrawled　a　penciled　line　on　an　envelope…back；

then　he　whistled。



From　a　cool　lounging…place　beneath　the　wistaria…vines　arose　a

huge　colliestately　of　form；　dark　brown　and　white　of　coat；　deep…

set　of　eye　and　with　a　head　that　somehow　reminded　one　of　a

Landseer　engraving。　The　collie　trotted　up　the　steps　of　the

veranda　and　stood　expectant　before　the　Master。　The　latter　had

been　folding　the　envelope　lengthwise。　Now　he　slipped　it　through

the　ring　in　the　dog's　collar。



〃Give　it　to　Roberts；〃　he　said。



The　big　collie　turned　and　set　off　at　a　hand…gallop。



〃Good！〃　approved　the　guest。　〃Bruce　didn't　seem　to　be　in　any　doubt

as　to　what　you　wanted　him　to　do。　He　knows　where　Roberts　is　likely

to　be？〃



〃No；〃　said　the　Master。　〃But　he　can　track　him　and　find　him；　if

Roberts　is　anywhere　within　a　mile　or　so　from　here。　That　was　one

of　the　first　things　we　taught　himto　carry　messages。　All　we　do

is　to　slip　the　paper　into　his　collar…ring　and　tell　him　the　name

of　the　person　to　take　it　to。　Naturally；　he　knows　us　all　by　name。

So　it　is　easy　enough　for　him　to　do　it。　We　look　on　the　trick　as

tremendously　clever。　But　that's　because　we　love　Bruce。　Almost　any

dog　can　be　taught　to　do　it；　I　suppose。　We〃



〃You're　mistaken！〃　corrected　the　guest。　〃Almost　any　dog　CAN'T　be

taught　to。　Some　dogs　can；　of　course；　but　they　are　the　exception。

I　ought　to　know；　for　I've　been　where　dog…couriers　are　a　decidedly

important　feature　of　trench…warfare。　I　stopped　at　one　of　the　dog…

training　schools　in　England；　too；　on　my　way　back　from　Picardy；

and　watched　the　teaching　of　the　dogs　that　are　sent　to　France　and

Flanders。　Not　one　in　ten　can　be　trained　to　carry　messages；　and

not　one　in　thirty　can　be　counted　on　to　do　it　reliably。　You　ought

to　be　proud　of　Bruce。〃



〃We　are；〃　replied　the　Mistress。　〃He　is　one　of　the　family。　We

think　everything　of　him。　He　was　such　a　stupid　and　awkward　puppy；

too！　Then；　in　just　a　few　months；　he　shaped　up；　as　he　is　now。　And

his　brain　woke。〃



Bruce　interrupted　the　talk　by　reappearing　on　the　veranda。　The

folded　envelope　was　still　in　the　ring　on　his　collar。　The　guest

glanced　furtively　at　the　Master；　expecting　some　sign　of　chagrin

at　the　collie's　failure。



Instead；　the　Master　took　the　envelope；　unfolded　it　and　glanced　at

a　word　or　two　that　had　been　written　beneath　his　own　scrawl；　then

he　made　another　penciled　addition　to　the　envelope's　writing；

stuck　the　twisted　paper　back　into　the　ring　and　said



〃Roberts。〃



Off　trotted　Bruce　on　his　second　trip。



〃I　had　forgotten　to　say　which　train　you'll　have　to　take　in　the

morning；〃　explained　the　Master。　〃So　Roberts　wrote；　asking　what

time　he　was　to　have　the　car　at　the　door　after　breakfast。　It　was

careless　of　me。〃



The　guest　did　not　answer。　But　when　Bruce　presently　returned；

this　time　with　no　paper　in　his　collar…ring；the　officer　passed

his　hand　appraisingly　through　the　dog's　heavy　coat　and　looked

keenly　down　into　his　dark　eyes。



〃Gun…shy？〃　asked　the　guest。　〃Or　perhaps　he's　never　heard　a　gun

fired？〃



〃He's　heard　hundreds　of　guns　fired；〃　said　the　Master。　〃I　never

allow　a　gun　to　be　fired　on　The　Place；　of　course；　because　we've

made　it　a　bird　refuge。　But　Bruce　went　with　us　in　the　car　to　the

testing　of　the　Lewis　machineguns；　up　at　Haskell。　They　made　a　most

ungodly　racket。　But　somehow　it　didn't　seem　to　bother　the　Big　Dog

at　all。〃



〃H'm！〃　mused　the　guest；　his　professional　interest　vehemently

roused。　〃He　would　be　worth　a　fortune　over　there。　There　are　a　lot

of　collies　in　the　service；　in　one　capacity　or　anotheralmost　as

many　as　the　Airedales　and　the　police　dogs。　And　they　are　doing

grand　work。　But　I　never　saw　one　that　was　better　fitted　for　it

than　Bruce。　It's　a　pity　he　lives　on　the　wrong　side　of　the

Atlantic。　He　could　do　his　bit；　to　more　effect　than　the　average

human。　There　are　hundreds　of　thousands　of　men　for　the　ranks；　but

pitifully　few　perfect　courier…dogs。〃



The　Mistress　was　listening　with　a　tensity　which　momentarily　grew

more　painful。　The　Master's　forehead；　too；　was　creased　with　a　new

thought　that　seemed　to　hurt　him。　To　break　the　brief　silence　that

followed　the　guest's　words；　he　asked：



〃Are　the　dogs；　over　there；　really　doing　such　great　work　as　the

papers　say　they　are？　I　read；　the　other　day〃



〃　'Great　work！'〃　repeated　the　guest。　〃I　should　say　so。　Not　only

in　finding　the　wounded　and　acting　as　guards　on　listening　posts；

and　all　that；　but　most　of　all　as　couriers。　There　are　plenty　of

times　when　the　wireless　can't　be　used　for　sending　messages　from

one　point　to　another；　and　where　there　is　no　telephone　connection；

and　where　the　firing　is　too　hot　for　a　human　courier　to　get

through。　That　is　where　is　the　war　dogs　have　proved　their　weight

in　radium。　Collies；　mostly。　There　are　a；　million　true　stories　of

their　prowess　told；　at　camp…fires。　Here　are　just　two　such

incidentsboth　of　them　on　record；　by　the　way；　at　the　British　War

Office



〃A　collie；　down　near　Soissons；　was　sent　across　a　bad　strip　of

fire…scourged　ground；　with　a　message。　A　boche　sharpshooter　fired

at　him　and　shattered　his　jaw。　The　dog　kept　on；　in　horrible　agony；

and　delivered　the　message。　Another　collie　was　sent　over　a　still

hotter　and　much　longer　stretch　of　territory　with　a　message。　（That

was　during　the　Somme　drive　of　1916。）　He　was　shot　at；　a　dozen

times；　as　he　ran。　At　last　two　bullets　got　him。　He　fell　over；

mortally　wounded。　He　scrambled　to　his　feet　and　kept　on　falling；

stumbling；　staggeringtill　he　got　to　his　destination。　Then　he

dropped　dead　at　the　side　of　the　Colonel　the　message　had　been　sent

to。　And　those　are　only　two　of　thousands　of　true　collie…anecdotes。

Yet　some　fools　are　trying　to　get　American　dogs　done　away　with；　as

'non…utilitarian；'　while　the　war　lasts！　As　if　the　dogs　in　France；

today；　weren't　earning　their　overseas　brothers'　right　to　live

and　live　well！〃



Neither　of　his　hearers　made　reply　when　the　guest　finished　his

earnest；　eager　recital。　Neither　of　them　had　paid　much　heed　to　his

final　words。　For　the　Master　and　the　Mistress　were　looking　at　each

other　in　mute　unhappiness。　The　same　miserable　thought　was　in　the

mind　of　each。　And　each　knew　the　thought　that　was　torturing　the

mind　of　the　other。



Presently；　at　a　glint　of　inquiry　in　the　Master's　eye；　the

Mistress　suddenly　bent　over　and　buried　her　face　in　the　deep　mass

of　Bruce's　ruff　as　the　dog　stood　lovingly　beside　her。　Then；　still

stroking　the　collie's　silken　head；　she　returned　her　husband's

wretchedly　questioning　glance　with　a　resigned　little　nod。　The

Master　cleared　his　throat　noisily　before　he　could　speak　with　the

calm　indifference　he　sought。　Then；　turning　to　the　apparently

unnoticing　guest；　he　said



〃I　think　I　told　you　I　tried　to　get　across　to　France　at　the　very

startand　I　was　barred　because　I　am　past　forty　and　because　I

have　a　bum　heart　and　several　other　defects　that　a　soldier　isn't

supposed　to　have。　My　wife　and　I　have　tried　to　do　what　little　we

can　for　the　Cause；　on　this　side　of　the　ocean。　But　it　has　seemed

woefully　little；　when　we　remember　what　others　are　doing。　And　we

have　no　son　we　can　send。〃



Again　he　cleared　his　throat　and　went　on　with　sulky

ungraciousness：



〃We　both　know　what　you've　been　driving　at　for　the　past　five

minutes。　Andand　we　agree。　Bruce　can　go。〃



〃Great！〃　applauded　the　guest。　〃That's　fine！　He'll　be　worth　his〃



〃If　you　think　we're　a　couple　of　fools　for　not　doing　this　more

willingly；〃　went　on　the　Master　with　savage　earnestness；　〃just

stop　to　think　what　it　means　to　a　man　to　give　up　the　dog　he　loves。

Not　to　give　him　up　to　some　one　who　will　assure　him　a　good　home；

but　to　send　him　over　into　that　hell；　where　a　German　bullet　or　a

shell…fragment　or　hunger　or　disease　is　certain　to　get　him；　soon

or　late。　To　think　of　him　lying　smashed　and　helpless；　somewhere　in

No　Man's　Land；　waiting　for　death；　or　caught　by　the　enemy　and

eaten！　（The　Red　Cross　bulletin　says　no　less　than　eight