bruce-第21章

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the　opposite　end　of　the　street；　bearing　in　his　collar　a　dispatch

from　the　corps　commander　to　the　colonel　of　the　〃Here…We…Comes。〃

The　colonel；　at　the　mairie；　had　read　the　dispatch　and　had　patted

its　bearer；　then　had　bidden　the　dog　lie　down　and　rest；　if　he

chose；　after　his　long　run。



Instead；　Bruce　had　preferred　to　stroll　out　in　search　of　friends。



Top…Sergeant　Mahan；　by　the　way；　would　have　felt　highly　flattered

had　he　chanced　to　get　a　glimpse　of　the　dispatch　Bruce　had　brought

to　the　colonel。　For　it　bore　out　Mahan's　own　theory　regarding　the

presence　of　spies　at　or　near　the　village；　and　it　bade　the　〃Here…

We…Come〃　colonel　use　every　means　for　tracing　them。



It　added　the　information　that　three　troop…trains　with　nine

engines　were　to　pass　through　the　village　that　night　on　their　way

to　the　trenches；　and　that　the　trains　were　due　at　the　junction　at

nine　o'clock　or　shortly　thereafter。　The　mairie　was　on　the　other

side　of　the　street　from　the　estaminet。　Incidentally；　it　was　on

the　shady　side　of　the　streetfor　which　reason　Bruce；being

wise；　and　the　day　being　hot；remained　on　that　side；　until　he

should　come　opposite　the　bench　where　his　friends　awaited　him。



His　course；　thus；　brought　him　directly　past　the　church。



As　he　trotted　by　the　steps；　the　Red　Cross　nurse；　who　sat　sewing

there；　chirped　timidly　at　him。　Bruce　paused　in　his　leisurely

progress　to　see　who　had　accosted　him　whether　an　old　acquaintance；

to　be　greeted　as　such；　or　merely　a　pleasantly　inclined　stranger。



His　soft　brown　eyes　rested　first　in　idle　inquiry　upon　the　angular

and　white…robed　figure　on　the　steps。　Then；　on　the　instant；　the

friendly　inquiring　look　left　his　eyes　and　their　softness　went

with　itleaving　the　dog's　gaze　cold　and　frankly　hostile。



One　corner　of　Bruce's　lips　slowly　lifted；　revealing　a　tiny　view

of　the　terrible　white　fangs　behind　them。　His　gayly　erect　head　was

lowered；　and　in　the　depths　of　his　furry　throat　a　growl　was　born。

When　a　dog　barks　and　holds　his　head　up；　there　is　little　enough　to

fear　from　him。　But　when　he　lowers　his　head　and　growlthen　look

out。



Mahan　knew　dogs。　In　stark　amazement　he　now　noted　Bruce's　strange

attitude　toward　the　nurse。　Never　before　had　he　seen　the　dog　show

active　hostility　toward　a　strangerleast　of　all　toward　a

stranger　who　had　in　no　way　molested　him。　It　was　incredible　that

the　wontedly　dignified　and　sweet…tempered　collie　had　thus

returned　a　greeting。　Especially　from　a　woman！



Mahan　had　often　seen　Red　Cross　nurses　stop　to　caress　Bruce。　He

had　been　amused　at　the　dog's　almost　protective　cordiality　toward

all　women；　whether　the　French　peasants　or　the　wearers　of　the

brassard　of　mercy。



Toward　menexcept　those　he　had　learned　to　look　on　as　friends

the　collie　always　comported　himself　with　a　courteous　aloofness

But　he　had　seemed　to　regard　every　woman　as　something　to　be

humored　and　guarded　and　to　be　treated　with　the　same　cordial

friendliness　that　he　bestowed　on　their　childrenwhich　is　the　way

of　the　best　type　of　collie。　Yet　Bruce　had　actually　snarled　at

this　woman　who　had　chirped　to　him　from　the　steps　of　the　church！

And　he　showed　every　sign　of　following　up　the　challenge　by　still

more　drastic　measures。



〃Bruce！〃　called　Mahan　sharply。　〃BRUCE！　Shame！　Come　over　here！

Come；　NOW！〃



At　the　Sergeant's　vehement　summons　Bruce　turned　reluctantly　away

from　the　foot　of　the　church　steps　and　came　across　the　street

toward　the　estaminet。　He　came　slowly。　Midway　he　halted　and　looked

back　over　his　shoulder　at　the　nurse；　his　fangs　glinting　once　more

in　a　snarl。　At　a　second　and　more　emphatic　call　from　Mahan　the　dog

continued　his　progress。



The　nurse　had　started　back　in　alarm　at　the　collie's　angry

demonstration。　Now；　gathering　up　her　work；　she　retreated　into　the

church。



〃I'm　sorry；　Miss！〃　Mahan　shouted　after　her。　〃I　never　saw　him　that

way；　before；　when　a　lady　spoke　to　him。　If　it　was　any　dog　but　old

Bruce；　I'd　give　him　a　whaling　for　acting　like　that　to　you。　I'm

dead…sure　he　didn't　mean　any　harm。〃



〃Oh；　I　was　going　in；　anyway；〃　replied　the　nurse；　from　the

doorway。　〃It　is　of　no　consequence。〃



She　spoke　nervously；　her　rich　contralto　voice　shaken　by　the　dog's

fierce　show　of　enmity。　Then　she　vanished　into　the　church；　and

Mahan　and　Vivier　took　turns　in　lecturing　Bruce　on　his　shameful

dearth　of　courtesy。



The　big　dog　paid　no　heed　at　all　to　his　friends'　discourse。　He　was

staring　sullenly　at　the　doorway　through　which　the　nurse　had　gone。



〃That's　one　swell　way　for　a　decently　bred　dog　to　treat　a　woman！〃

Mahan　was　telling　him。　〃Least　of　all；　a　Red　Cross　nurse！　I'm

clean　ashamed　of　you！〃



Bruce　did　not　listen。　In　his　heart　he　was　still　angryand　very

much　perplexed　as　well。　For　he　knew　what　these　stupid　humans　did

not　seem　to　know。



HE　KNEW　THE　RED　CROSS　NURSE　WAS　NO　WOMAN　AT　ALL；　BUT　A　MAN。



Bruce　knew；　too；　that　the　nurse　did　not　belong　to　his　loved

friends　of　the　Red　Cross。　For　his　uncanny　power　of　scent　told　him

the　garments　worn　by　the　impostor　belonged　to　some　one　else。　To

mere　humans；　a　small　and　slender　man；　who　can　act；　and　who　dons

woman's　garb；　is　a　woman。　To　any　dog；　such　a　man　is　no　more　like

a　woman　than　a　horse　with　a　lambskin　saddle…pad　is　a　lamb。　He　is

merely　a　man　who　is　differently　dressed　from　other　meneven　as

this　man　who　had　chirped　to　Bruce；　from　the　church　steps；　was　no

less　a　man　for　the　costume　in　which　he　had　swathed　his　body。　Any

dog；　at　a　glance　and　at　a　sniff；　would　have　known　that。



Women；　for　one　thing；　do　not　usually　smoke　dozens　of　rank　cigars

daily　for　years；　until　their　flesh　is　permeated　with　the　smell　of

tobacco。　A　human　could　not　have　detected　such　a　smellsuch　a

MAN…smell；on　the　person　who　had　chirped　to　Bruce。　Any　dog；

twenty　feet　away；　would　have　noticed　it；　and　would　have　tabulated

the　white…clad　masquerader　as　a　man。　Nor　do　a　woman's　hair　and

skin　carry　the　faint　but　unmistakable　odor　of　barracks　and　of

tent…life　and　of　martial　equipment；　as　did　this　man's。　The

masquerader　was　evidently　not　only　a　man　but　a　soldier。



Dogs；high…strung　dogs；do　not　like　to　have　tricks　played　on

them；　least　of　all　by　strangers。　Bruce　seemed　to　take　the

nurse…disguise　as　a　personal　affront　to　himself。　Then；　too；　the

man　was　not　of　his　own　army。　On　the　contrary；　the　scent

proclaimed　him　one　of　the　horde　whom　Bruce's　friends　so

manifestly　hatedone　of　the　breed　that　had　more　than　once　fired

on　the　dog。



Diet　and　equipment　and　other　causes　give　a　German　soldier　a

markedly　different　scent；　to　dogs'　miraculously　keen　nostrils；

and　to　those　of　certain　humans；from　the　French　or　British　or

American　troops。　War　records　prove　this。　Once　having　learned　the

scent；　and　having　learned　to　detest　it；　Bruce　was　not　to　be

deceived。



For　all　these　reasons　he　had　snarled　loathingly　at　the　man　in

white。　For　these　same　reasons　he　could　not　readily　forget　the

incident；　but　continued　every　now　and　then　to　glance　curiously

across　toward　the　church。



Presently；not　relishing　the　rebukes　of　the　friends　who　had

heretofore　pestered　him　by　overmuch　petting；the　collie　arose

quietly　from　his　couch　of　trampled　earth　at　the　foot　of　the　stone

bench　and　strolled　back　across　the　street。　Most　of　the　men　were

too　busy；　talking；　to　note　Bruce's　departure。　But　Sergeant　Mahan

caught　sight　of　him　just　as　the　dog　was　mounting　the　last　of　the

steps　leading　into　the　church。



As　a　rule；　when　Bruce　went　investigating；　he　walked　carelessly

and　with　his　tail　slightly　a…wag。　Now　his　tail　was　stiff　as　an

icicle；　and　he　moved　warily；　on　the　tips　of　his　toes。　His　tawny…

maned　neck　was　low。　Mahan；　understanding　dogs；　did　not　like　the

collie's　demeanor。　Remembering　that　the　nurse　had　entered　the

church　a　few　minutes　earlier；　the　Sergeant　got　to　his　feet　and

hastily　followed　Bruce。



The　dog；　meanwhile；　had　passed　through　the　crazily　splintered

doorway　and　had　paused　on　the　threshold　of　the　improvised

hospital；　as　the　reek　of　iodoform　and　of　carbolic　smo