bruce-第8章

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〃But；〃　ventured　the　Mistress；　〃if　Symonds　says　'Thumbs　down；'

then〃



〃Then　I'll　buy　a　pet　armadillo　or　an　ornithorhynchus　instead；〃

threatened　the　Master。　〃Either　of　them　will　look　more　like　a

collie　than　Bruce　does。〃



〃II　wonder　if　Mr。　Symonds　smokes；〃　mused　the　Mistress　under　her

breath。



〃Smokes？〃　echoed　the　Master。　〃What's　that　got　to　do　with　it？〃



〃I　was　only　wondering；〃　she　made　hesitant　answer；　〃if　a　box　of

very　wonderful　cigars；　sent　to　him　with　our　cards；　mightn't

perhaps〃



〃It's　a　fine　sportsmanly　proposition！〃　laughed　the　Master。　〃When

women　get　to　ruling　the　world　of　sport；　there'll　be　no　need　of

comic　cartoons。　Genuine　photographs　will　do　as　well。　If　it's　just

the　same　to　you；　dear　girl；　we'll　let　Symonds　buy　his　own　cigars；

for　the　present。　The　dog…show　game　is　almost　the　only　one　I　know

of　where　a　judge　is　practically　always　on　the　square。　People

doubt　his　judgment；　sometimes；　but　there　is　practically　never　any

doubt　of　his　honesty。　Besides；　we　want　to　get　the　exact　dope　on

Bruce。　（Not　that　I　haven't　got　it；　already！）　If　Symonds　'gates'

him；　I'm　going　to　offer　him　for　sale　at　the　show。　If　nobody　buys

him　there；　I'm　going〃



〃He　hasn't　been　'gated'　yet；〃　answered　the　Mistress　in　calm

confidence。



At　the　little　spring　show；　at　Hampton；　a　meager　eighty　dogs　were

exhibited；　of　which　only　nine　were　collies。　This　collie　division

contained　no　specimens　to　startle　the　dog…world。　Most　of　the

exhibits　were　pets。　And　like　nearly　all　pets；　they　were

〃seconds〃in　other　words；　the　less　desirable　dogs　of

thoroughbred　litters。



Hampton's　town　hall　auditorium　was　filled　to　overcrowding；　with　a

mass　of　visitors　who　paraded　interestedly　along　the　aisles

between　the　raised　rows　of　stall…like　benches　where　the　dogs　were

tied；　or　who　grouped　densely　around　all　four　sides　of　the　roped

judging…ring　in　the　center　of　the　hall。



For　a　dogshow　has　a　wel…nigh　universal　appeal　to　humanity　at

large；　even　as　the　love　for　dogs　is　one　of　the　primal　and　firm…

rooted　human　emotions。　Not　only　the　actual　exhibitor　and　their

countless　friends　flock　to　such　shows；　but　the　public　at　large　is

drawn　thither　as　to　no　other　function　of　the　kind。



Horse…racing；　it　is　true；　brings　out　a　crowd　many　times　larger

than　does　a　dogshow。　But　only　because　of　the　thrill　of　winning　or

losing　money。　For　where　one's　spare　cash　is；　there　is　his　heart

and　his　all…absorbing　interest。　Yet　it　is　a　matter　of　record　that

grass　is　growing　high；　on　the　race…tracks；　in　such　states　as　have

been　able　to　enforce　the　anti…betting　laws。　The　〃sport　of　kings〃

flourishes　only　where　wagers　may　accompany　it。　Remove　the　betting

element；　and　you　turn　your　racetrack　into　a　huge　and　untrodden

lot。



There　is　practically　no　betting　connected　with　any　dogshow。

People　go　there　to　see　the　dogs　and　to　watch　their　judging；　and

for　nothing　else。　As　a　rule；　the　show　is　not　even　a　social　event。

Nevertheless；　the　average　dogshow　is　thronged　with　spectators。

（Try　to　cross　Madison　Square　Garden；　on　Washington's　Birthday

afternoon；　while　the　Westminster　Kennel　Club's　Show　is　in

progress。　If　you　can　work　your　way　through　the　press　of　visitors

in　less　than　half　an　hour；　then　Nature　intended　you　for　a

football　champion。）



The　fortunate　absence　of　a　betting…interest　alone　keeps　such

affairs　from　becoming　among　the　foremost　sporting　features　of　the

world。　Many　of　the　dogs　on　view　are　fools；　of　course。　Because

many　of　them　have　been　bred　solely　with　a　view　to　show…points。

And　their　owners　and　handlers　have　done　nothing　to　awaken　in

their　exhibits　the　half…human　brain　and　heart　that　is　a　dog's

heritage。　All　has　been　sacrificed　to　〃points〃to　points　which

are　arbitrary　and　which　change　as　freakily　as　do　fashions　in

dress。



For　example；　a　few　years　ago；　a　financial　giant　collected　and

exhibited　one　of　the　finest　bunches　of　collies　on　earth。　He　had　a

competent　manager　and　an　army　of　kennel…men　to　handle　them。　He

took　inordinate　pride　in　these　priceless　collies　of　his。　Once　I

watched　him；　at　the　Garden　Show；　displaying　them　to　some　Wall

Street　friends。　Three　times　he　made　errors　in　naming　his　dogs。

Once；　when　he　leaned　too　close　to　the　star　collie　of　his　kennels；

the　dog　mistook　him　for　a　stranger　and　resented　the　intrusion　by

snapping　at　him。　He　did　not　know　his　own　pets；　one　from　another。

And　they　did　not　know　their　owner；　by　sight　or　by　scent。



At　the　small　shows；　there　is　an　atmosphere　wholly　different。　Few

of　the　big　breeders　bother　to　compete　at　such　contests。　The　dogs

are　for　the　most　part　pets；　for　which　their　owners　feel　a　keen

personal　affection；　and　which　have　been　brought　up　as　members　of

their　masters'　households。　Thus；　if　small　shows　seldom　bring

forth　a　world…beating　dog；　they　at　least　are　full　of　clever　and

humanized　exhibits　and　of　men　and　women　to　whom　the　success　or

failure　of　their　canine　friends　is　a　matter　of　intensest　personal

moment。　Wherefore　the　small　show　often　gives　the　beholder

something　he　can　find　but　rarely　in　a　larger　exhibition。



A　few　dogs　genuinely　enjoy　showsor　are　supposed　to。　To　many

others　a　dogshow　is　a　horror。



Which　windy　digression　brings　us　back　by　prosy　degrees　to　Bruce

and　to　the　Hampton　dogshow。



The　collies　were　the　first　breed　to　be　judged。　And　the　puppy

class；　as　usual；　was　the　first　to　be　called　to　the　ring。



There　were　but　three　collie　pups；　all　males。　One　was　a　rangy　tri…

color　of　eleven　months；　with　a　fair　head　and　a　bad　coat。　The

second　was　an　exquisite　six…months　puppy；　rich　of　coat；

prematurely　perfect　of　head；　and　cowhocked。　These　two　and　Bruce

formed　the　puppy　class　which　paraded　before　Symonds　in　the　oblong

ring。



〃Anyhow；〃　whispered　the　Mistress　as　the　Master　led　his　stolidly

gigantic　entry　toward　the　enclosure；　〃Bruce　can't　get　worse　than

a　third…prize　yellow　ribbon。　We　ought　to　be　a　little　proud　of

that。　There　are　only　three　entries　in　his　class。〃



But　even　that　bit　of　barren　pride　was　denied　the　awkward

youngster's　sponsor。　As　the　three　pups　entered　the　enclosure。　the

judge's　half…shut　eyes　rested　on　Bruceat　first　idly；　then　in

real　amazement。　Crossing　to　the　Master；　before　giving　the　signal

for　the　first　maneuvers；　he　said　in　tired　disgust



〃Please　take　your　measly　St。　Bernard　monstrosity　out　of　the　ring。

This　is　a　class　for　collies；　not　for　freaks。　I　refuse　to　judge

that　pup　as　a　collie。〃



〃He's　a　thoroughbred；〃　crossly　protested　the　Master。　〃I　have　his

certified　pedigree。　There's　no　better　blood　in〃



〃I　don't　care　what　his　ancestors　were；〃　snapped　the　judge。　〃He's

a　throw…back　to　the　dinosaur　or　the　Great　Auk。　And　I　won't　judge

him　as　a　collie。　Take　him　out　of　the　ring。　You're　delaying　the

others。〃



A　judge's　decision　is　final。　Red　with　angry　shame　and　suppressing

an　unworthy　desire　to　kick　the　luckless　Bruce；　the　Master　led　the

pup　back　to　his　allotted　bench。　Bruce　trotted　cheerily　along　with

a　maddening　air　of　having　done　something　to　be　proud　of。　Deaf　to

the　Mistress's　sympathy　and　to　her　timidly　voiced　protests；　the

Master　scrawled　on　an　envelope…back　the　words　〃For　Sale。　Name

Your　Own　Price；〃　and　pinned　it　on　the　edge　of　the　bench。



〃Here　endeth　the　first　lesson　in　collie…raising；　so　far　as　The

Place　is　concerned；〃　he　decreed；　stalking　back　to　the　ringside　to

watch　the　rest　of　the　judging。



The　Mistress　lingered　behind；　to　bestow　a　furtive　consolatory　pat

upon　the　disqualified　Bruce。　Then　she　joined　her　husband　beside

the　ring。



It　was　probably　by　accident　that　her　skirt　brushed　sharply

against　the　bench…edge　as　she　wentknocking　the　〃For　Sale〃　sign

down　into　the　litter　of　straw　below。



But　a　well…meaning　fellow…exhibitor；　across　the　aisle；　saw　the

bit　of　paper　flutter　floorward。　This　good　soul　rescued　it　from

the　straw　and　pinned　it　back　in　place。



（The　world　is　full　of　helpful　folk。　That　is　perhaps　one　reason

why　the　Millennium's　date　is　still　so　indefinite。）