第 24 节
作者:漂亮格子      更新:2021-04-30 16:08      字数:9322
  〃Oh; you get out。〃
  Many more Rabbits had been added to the pen;big and small;
  peaceful and warlike;and one big Buck of savage instincts;
  seeing Jack Warhorse's hurried dash into the Haven that morning;
  took advantage of the moment to attack him。
  At another time Jack would have thumped his skull; as he once did
  the Cat's; and settled the affair in a minute; but now it took
  several minutes; during which he himself got roughly handled; so
  when the afternoon came he was suffering from one or two bruises
  and stiffening wounds; not serious; indeed; but enough to lower
  his speed。
  The start was much like those of previous runs。 The Warhorse
  steaming away low and lightly; his ears up and the breezes
  whistling through his thirteen stars。
  Minkie with Fango; the new Dog; bounded in eager pursuit; but; to
  the surprise of the starters; the gap grew smaller。 The Warhorse
  was losing ground; and right before the Grand Stand old Minkie
  turned him; and a cheer went up from the dog…men; for all knew
  the runners。 Within fifty yards Fango scored a turn; and the race
  was right back to the start。 There stood Slyman and Mickey。 The
  Rabbit dodged; the Greyhounds plunged; Jack could not get away;
  and just as the final snap seemed near; the Warhorse leaped
  straight for Mickey; and in an instant was hidden in his arms;
  while the starter's feet flew out in energetic kicks to repel the
  furious Dogs。 It is not likely that the Jack knew Mickey for a
  friend; he only yielded to the old instinct to fly from a certain
  enemy to a neutral or a possible friend; and; as luck would have
  it; he had wisely leaped and well。 A cheer went up from the
  benches as Mickey hurried back with his favorite。 But the dog…men
  protested 〃it wasn't a fair runthey wanted it finished。〃 They
  appealed to the Steward。 He had backed the Jack against Fango。 He
  was sore now; and ordered a new race。
  An hour's rest was the best Mickey could get for him。 Then he
  went as before; with Fango and Minkie in pursuit。 He seemed less
  stiff nowhe ran more like himself; but a little past the Stand
  he was turned by Fango and again by Minkie; and back and across;
  and here and there; leaping frantically and barely eluding his
  foes。 For several minutes it lasted。 Mickey could see that Jack's
  ears were sinking。 The new Dog leaped。 Jack dodged almost under
  him to escape; and back only to meet the second Dog; and now both
  ears were flat on his back。 But the Hounds were suffering too。
  Their tongues were lolling out; their jaws and heaving sides were
  splashed with foam。 The Warhorse's ears went up again。 His
  courage seemed to revive in their distress。 He made a straight
  dash for the Haven; but the straight dash was just what the
  Hounds could do; and within a hundred yards he was turned again;
  to begin another desperate game of zigzag。 Then the dog…men saw
  danger for their Dogs; and two new ones were slippedtwo fresh
  Hounds; surely they could end the race。 But they did not。 The
  first two were vanquishedgaspingout of it; but the next two
  were racing near。 The Warhorse put forth all his strength。 He
  left the first two far behindwas nearly to the Haven when the
  second two came up。
  Nothing but dodging could save him now。 His ears were sinking;
  his heart was pattering on his ribs; but his spirit was strong。
  He flung himself in wildest zigzags。 The Hounds tumbled over each
  other。 Again and again they thought they had him。 One of them
  snapped off the end of his long black tail; yet he escaped; but
  he could not get to the Haven。 The luck was against him。 He was
  forced nearer to the Grand Stand。 A thousand ladies were
  watching。 The time limit was up。 The second Dogs were suffering;
  when Mickey came running; yelling like a
  madmanwordsimprecationscrazy sounds:
  〃Ye blackguard hoodlums! Ye dhirty; cowardly bastes!〃 and he
  rushed furiously at the Dogs; intent to do them bodily harm。
  Officers came running and shouting; and Mickey; shrieking hatred
  and defiance; was dragged from the field; reviling Dogs and men
  with every horrid; insulting name he could think of or invent。
  〃Fair play! Whayer's yer fair play; ye liars; ye dhirty cheats;
  ye bloody cowards!〃 And they drove him from the arena。 The last
  he saw of it was the four foaming Dogs feebly dodging after a
  weak and worn…out Jack…rabbit; and the judge on his Horse
  beckoning to the man with the gun。
  The gate closed behind him; and Mickey heard a bang…bang; an
  unusual uproar mixed with yelps of Dogs; and he knew that Little
  Jack Warhorse had been served with finish No。 4。
  All his life he had loved Dogs; but his sense of fair play was
  outraged。 He could not get in; nor see in from where he was。 He
  raced along the lane to the Haven; where he might get a good
  view; and arrived in time to seeLittle Jack Warhorse with his
  half…masted ears limp into the Haven; and he realized at once
  that the man with the gun had missed; had hit the wrong runner;
  for there was the crowd at the Stand watching two men who were
  carrying a wounded Greyhound; while a veterinary surgeon was
  ministering to another that was panting on the ground。
  Mickey looked about; seized a little shipping…box; put it at the
  angle of the Haven; carefully drove the tired thing into it;
  closed the lid; then; with the box under his arm; he scaled the
  fence unseen in the confusion and was gone。
  'It didn't matter; he had lost his job anyway。' He tramped away
  from the city。 He took the train at the nearest station and
  travelled some hours; and now he was in Rabbit country again。 The
  sun had long gone down; the night with its stars was over the
  plain when among the farms; the Osage and alfalfa; Mickey
  Doo opened the box and gently put the Warhorse out。
  Grinning as he did so; he said: 〃Shure an' it's ould Oireland
  thot's proud to set the thirteen stars at liberty wance moore。〃
  For a moment the Little Warhorse gazed in doubt; then took three
  or four long leaps and a spy…hop to get his bearings。 Now
  spreading his national colors and his honor…marked ears; he
  bounded into his hard…won freedom; strong as ever; and melted
  into the night of his native plain。
  He has been seen many times in Kaskado; and there have been many
  Rabbit drives in that region; but he seems to know some means of
  baffling them now; for; in all the thousands that have been
  trapped and corralled; they have never since seen the
  star…spangled ears of Little jack Warhorse。
  SNAP
  THE STORY OF A BULL…TERRIER
  I
  It was dusk on Hallowe'en when first I saw him。 Early in the
  morning I had received a telegram from my college chum Jack:
  〃Lest we forget。 Am sending you a remarkable pup。 Be polite to
  him; it's safer。〃 It would have been just like Jack to have sent
  an infernal machine or a Skunk rampant and called it a pup; so I
  awaited the hamper with curiosity。 When it arrived I saw it was
  marked 〃Dangerous;〃 and there came from within a high…pitched
  snarl at every slight provocation。 On peering through the wire
  netting I saw it was not a baby Tiger but a small white
  Bull…terrier。 He snapped at me and at any one or anything that
  seemed too abrupt or too near for proper respect; and his
  snarling growl was unpleasantly frequent。 Dogs have two growls:
  one deep…rumbled; and chesty; that is polite warningthe retort
  courteous; the other mouthy and much higher in pitch: this is the
  last word before actual onslaught。 The Terrier's growls were all
  of the latter kind。 I was a dog…man and thought I knew all about
  Dogs; so; dismissing the porter; I got out my all…round
  jackknifetoothpicknailhammer…hatchet…toolbox…fire…shovel; a
  specialty of our firm; and lifted the netting。 Oh; yes; I knew
  all about Dogs。 The little fury had been growling out a
  whole…souled growl for every tap of the tool; and when I turned
  the box on its side; he made a dash straight for my legs。 Had not
  his foot gone through the wire netting and held him; I might have
  been hurt; for his heart was evidently in his work; but I stepped
  on the table out of reach and tried to reason with him。 I have
  always believed in talking to animals。 I maintain that they
  gather something of our intention at least; even if they do not
  understand our words; but the Dog evidently put me down for a
  hypocrite and scorned my approaches。 At first he took his post
  under the table and kept up a circular watch for a leg trying to
  get down。 I felt sure I could have controlled him with my eye;
  but I could not bring it to bear where I was; or rather where he
  was; thus I was left a prisoner。 I am a very cool person; I
  flatter myself; in fact; I represent a hardware firm; and; in
  coolness; we are not excelled by any but perhaps the nosy
  gentlemen that sell wearing…apparel。 I got out a cigar and smoked
  tailor…style on the table; while my little tyrant below kept
  watch for legs。 I got out the telegram and read it: 〃Remarkable
  pup。 Be polite to him; it's safer。〃 I think it was my coolness
  rather than my politeness that did it; for in half an hour the
  growling ceased。 In an hour he no longer jumped at a newspaper
  cautiously pushed over the edge to test his humor; possibly the
  irritation of the cage was wearing off; and by the time I had lit
  my third cigar; he waddled out to the fir