bruce-第4章

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cot…bed。　After　a　second　telegraphing　of　glances；　his　parents

consented。　Half　an　hour　later　the　playmates　were　sound　asleep；

the　puppy　snuggling　deep　in　the　hollow　of　her　master's　arm；　her

furry　head　across　his　thin　chest。



It　was　in　this　pose　that　Hazen　found　them　when；　late　in　the

evening；　he　tiptoed　into　Dick's　cubby…hole　room。　He　gazed　down　at

the　slumberous　pair　for　a　space；　while　he　fought　and　conquered　an

impulse　toward　fair　play。　Then　he　stooped　to　pick　up　the　dog。



Lass；　waking　at　the　slight　creak　of　a　floorboard；　lifted　her

head。　At　sight　of　the　figure　leaning　above　her　adored　master；　the

lip　curled　back　from　her　white　teeth。　Far　down　in　her　throat　a

growl　was　born。　Then　she　recognized　the　intruder　as　the　man　who

had　petted　her　and　fed　her　that　evening。　The　growl　died　in　her

throat；　giving　place　to　a　welcoming　thump　or　two　of　her　bushy

tail。　Dick　stirred　uneasily。



Patting　the　puppy　lightly　on　her　upraised　head；　Hazen　picked　up

Lass　in　his　arms　and　tiptoed　out　of　the　room　with　her。　Mistaking

this　move　for　a　form　of　caress；　she　tried　to　lick　his　face。　The

man　winced。



Downstairs　and　out　into　the　street　Hazen　bore　his　trustful　little

burden；　halting　only　to　put　on　his　hat；　and　for　a　whispered　word

with　his　wife。　For　nearly　a　mile　he　carried　the　dog。　Lass　greatly

enjoyed　the　ride。　She　was　pleasantly　tired；　and　it　was　nice　to　be

carried　thus；　by　some　one　who　was　so　considerate　as　to　save　her

the　bother　of　walking。



At　the　edge　of　the　town；　Hazen　set　her　on　the　ground　and　at　once

began　to　walk　rapidly　away　in　the　direction　of　home。　He　had　gone

perhaps　fifty　yards　when　Lass　was　gamboling　merrily　around　his

feet。　A　kick　sent　the　dismayed　and　agonized　puppy　flying　through

the　air　like　a　whimpering　catapult；　and　landed　her　against　a　bank

with　every　atom　of　breath　knocked　out　of　her。　Before　she　had

fairly　struck　ground；before　she　could　look　about　her；Hazen

had　doubled　around　a　corner　and　had　vanished。



At　a　run；　he　made　for　home；　glad　the　unpleasant　job　was　over。　At

the　door　his　wife　met　him。



〃Well；〃　she　demanded；　〃did　you　drown　her　in　the　canal；　the　way

you　said？〃



〃No；〃　he　confessed　sheepishly；　〃I　didn't　exactly　drown　her。　You

see；　she　nestled　down　into　my　arms　so　cozy　and　trusting…like；

that　Iwell；　I　fixed　it　so　she'll　never　show　up　around　here

again。　Trust　me　to　do　a　job　thoroughly；　if　I　do　it　at　all。　I〃



A　dramatic　gesture　from　Mrs。　Hazen's　stubby　forefinger

interrupted　him。　He　followed　the　finger's　angry　point。　Close　at

his　side　stood　Lass；　wagging　her　tail　and　staring　expectantly　up

at　him。



With　her　keen　power　of　scent；　it　had　been　no　exploit　at　all　to

track　the　man　over　a　mile　of　unfamiliar　ground。　Already　she　had

forgiven　the　kick　or　had　put　it　down　to　accident　on　his　part。　And

at　the　end　of　her　eager　chase；　she　was　eager　for　a　word　of

greeting。



〃I'll　be〃　gurgled　Hazen；　blinking　stupidly。



〃I　guess　you　will　be；〃　conceded　his　wife。　〃If　that's　the

'thorough'　way　you　do　your　jobs　at　the　factory〃



〃Say；〃　he　mumbled　in　a　sort　of　wondering　appeal；　〃is　there　any

HUMAN　that　would　like　to　trust　a　feller　so　much　as　to　risk

another　ribcracking　kick；　just　for　the　sake　of　being　where　he　is？

I　almost　wish〃



But　the　wish　was　unspoken。　Hazen　was　a　true　American　husband。　He

feared　his　wife　more　than　he　loved　fairness。　And　his　wife's　glare

was　full　upon　him。　With　a　grunt　he　picked　Lass　up　by　the　neck；

tucked　her　under　his　arm　and　made　off　through　the　dark。



He　did　not　take　the　road　toward　the　canal；　however。　Instead　he

made　for　the　railroad　tracks。　He　remembered　how；　as　a　lad；　he　had

once　gotten　rid　of　a　mangy　cat；　and　he　resolved　to　repeat　the

exploit。　It　was　far　more　merciful　to　the　puppyor　at　least；　to

Hazen's　conscience；than　to　pitch　Lass　into　the　slimy　canal　with

a　stone　tied　to　her　neck。



A　line　of　freight　cars〃empties〃was　on　a　siding；　a　short

distance　above　the　station。　Hazen　walked　along　the　track；　trying

the　door　of　each　car　he　passed。　The　fourth　he　came　to　was

unlocked。　He　slid　back　the　newly　greased　side　door；　thrust　Lass

into　the　chilly　and　black　interior　and　quickly　slid　shut　the　door

behind　her。　Then　with　the　silly　feeling　of　having　committed　a

crime；　he　stumbled　away　through　the　darkness　at　top　speed。



A　freight　car　has　a　myriad　uses；　beyond　the　carrying　of

legitimate　freight。　From　time　immemorial；　it　has　been　a　favorite

repository　for　all　manner　of　illicit　flotsam　and　jetsam　human　or

otherwise。



Its　popularity　with　tramps　and　similar　derelicts　has　long　been　a

theme　for　comic　paper　and　vaudeville　jest。　Though；　heaven　knows；

the　inside　of　a　moving　box…car　has　few　jocose　features；　except　in

the　imagination　of　humorous　artist　or　vaudevillian！



But　a　far　more　frequent　use　for　such　cars　has　escaped　the　notice

of　the　public　at　large。　As　any　old　railroader　can　testify；

trainhands　are　forever　finding　in　box…cars　every　genus　and

species　of　stray。



These　finds　range　all　the　way　from　cats　and　dogs　and　discarded

white　rabbits　and　canaries；　to　goats。　Dozens　of　babies　have　been

discovered；　wailing　and　deserted；　in　box…car　recesses；　perhaps　a

hundred　miles　from　the　siding　where；　furtively；　the　tiny　human

bundle　was　thrust　inside　some　conveniently　unlatched　side　door。



A　freight　train　offers　glittering　chances　for　the　disposal　of　the

Unwanted。　More　than　once　a　slain　man　or　woman　has　been　sent　along

the　line；　in　this　grisly　but　effective　fashion；　far　beyond　the

reach　of　recognition。



Hazen　had　done　nothing　original　or　new　in　depositing　the　luckless

collie　pup　in　one　of　these　wheeled　receptacles。　He　was　but

following　an　oldestablished　custom；　familiar　to　many　in　his

line　of　life。　There　was　no　novelty　to　it；except　to　Lass。



The　car　was　dark　and　cold　and　smelly。　Lass　hated　it。　She　ran　to

its　door。　Here　she　found　a　gleam　of　hope　for　escape　and　for

return　to　the　home　where　every　one　that　day　had　been　so　kind　to

her。　Hazen　had　shut　the　door　with　such　vehemence　that　it　had

rebounded。　The　hasp　was　down；　and　so　the　catch　had　not　done　its

duty。　The　door　had　slid　open　a　few　inches　from　the　impetus　of

Hazen's　shove。



It　was　not　wide　enough　open　to　let　Lass　jump　out；　but　it　was　wide

enough　for　her　to　push　her　nose　through。　And　by　vigorous

thrusting；　with　her　triangular　head　as　a　wedge；　she　was　able　to

widen　the　aperture；　inch　by　inch。　In　less　than　three　minutes　she

had　broadened　it　far　enough　for　her　to　wriggle　out　of　the　car　and

leap　to　the　side　of　the　track。　There　she　stood　bewildered。



A　spring　snow　was　drifting　down　from　the　sulky　sky。　The　air　was

damp　and　penetrating。　By　reason　of　the　new　snow　the　scent　of

Hazen's　departing　footsteps　was　blotted　out。　Hazen　himself　was　no

longer　in　sight。　As　Lass　had　made　the　journey　from　house　to

tracks　with　her　head　tucked　confidingly　under　her　kidnaper's　arm；

she　had　not　noted　the　direction。　She　was　lost。



A　little　way　down　the　track　the　station　lights　were　shining　with

misty　warmth　through　the　snow。　Toward　these　lights　the　puppy

trotted。



Under　the　station　eaves；　and　waiting　to　be　taken　aboard　the

almost…due　eleven…forty　express；　several　crates　and　parcels　were

grouped。　One　crate　was　the　scene　of　much　the　same　sort　of　escape…

…drama　that　Lass　had　just　enacted。



The　crate　was　big　and　comfortable；　bedded　down　with　soft　sacking

and　with　〃insets〃　at　either　side　containing　food　and　water。　But

commodious　as　was　the　box；　the　unwonted　confinement　did　not　at

all　please　its　occupanta　temperamental　and　highly　bred　young

collie　in　process　of　shipment　from　the　Rothsay　Kennels　to　a

purchaser　forty　miles　up　the　line。



This　collie；　wearying　of　the　delay　and　the　loneliness　and　the

strange　quarters；　had　begun　to　plunge　from　one　side　of　the　crate

to　the　other　in　an　effort　to　break　out。　A　carelessly　nailed　slat

gave　away　under　the　impact。　The　dog　scrambled　through　the　gap　and

proceeded　to　gallop　homeward　through　the　snow。



Ten　seconds　later；　La