michael, brother of jerry-第37部分

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boarding　trained　animals　and　troupes　of　animals　for　owners　who　were　out　of　engagements；　or　for　estates　of　such　owners　which　were　in　process　of　settlement。　　From　mice　and　rats　to　camels　and　elephants；　and　even；　on　occasion；　to　a　rhinoceros　or　a　pair　of　hippopotamuses；　he　could　supply　any　animal　on　demand。

When　the　Circling　Brothers'　big　three…ring　show　on　a　hard　winter　went　into　the　hands　of　the　receivers；　he　boarded　the　menagerie　and　the　horses　and　in　three　months　turned　a　profit　of　fifteen　thousand　dollars。　　Morehe　mortgaged　all　he　possessed　against　the　day　of　the　auction；　bought　in　the　trained　horses　and　ponies；　the　giraffe　herd　and　the　performing　elephants；　and；　in　six　months　more　was　quit　of　an　of　them；　save　the　pony　Repeater　who　turned　air…springs；　at　another　profit　of　fifteen　thousand　dollars。　　As　for　Repeater；　he　sold　the　pony　several　months　later　for　a　sheer　profit　of　two　thousand。　　While　this　bankruptcy　of　the　Circling　Brothers　had　been　the　greatest　financial　achievement　of　Harris　Collin's　life；　nevertheless　he　enjoyed　no　mean　permanent　income　from　his　plant；　and；　in　addition；　split　fees　with　the　owners　of　his　board　animals　when　he　sent　them　to　the　winter　Hippodrome　shows；　and；　more　often　than　not；　failed　to　split　any　fee　at　all　when　he　rented　the　animals　to　moving…picture　companies。

Animal　men；　the　country　over；　acknowledged　him　to　be；　not　only　the　richest　in　the　business；　but　the　king　of　trainers　and　the　grittiest　man　who　ever　went　into　a　cage。　　And　those　who　from　the　inside　had　seen　him　work　were　agreed　that　he　had　no　soul。　　Yet　his　wife　and　children；　and　those　in　his　small　social　circle；　thought　otherwise。　　They；　never　seeing　him　at　work；　were　convinced　that　no　softer…hearted；　more　sentimental　man　had　ever　been　born。　　His　voice　was　low　and　gentle；　his　gestures　were　delicate；　his　views　on　life；　the　world；　religion　and　politics；　the　mildest。　　A　kind　word　melted　him。　　A　plea　won　him。　　He　gave　to　all　local　charities；　and　was　gravely　depressed　for　a　week　when　the　Titanic　went　down。　　And　yetthe　men　in　the　trained…animal　game　acknowledged　him　the　nerviest　and　most　nerveless　of　the　profession。　　And　yethis　greatest　fear　in　the　world　was　that　his　large；　stout　wife；　at　table；　should　crown　him　with　a　plate　of　hot　soup。　　Twice；　in　a　tantrum；　she　had　done　this　during　their　earlier　married　life。　　In　addition　to　his　fear　that　she　might　do　it　again；　he　loved　her　sincerely　and　devotedly；　as　he　loved　his　children；　seven　of　them；　for　whom　nothing　was　too　good　or　too　expensive。

So　well　did　he　love　them；　that　the　four　boys　from　the　beginning　he　forbade　from　seeing　him　WORK；　and　planned　gentler　careers　for　them。　　John；　the　oldest；　in　Yale；　had　elected　to　become　a　man　of　letters；　and；　in　the　meantime；　ran　his　own　automobile　with　the　corresponding　standard　of　living　such　ownership　connoted　in　the　college　town　of　New　Haven。　　Harold　and　Frederick　were　down　at　a　millionaires'　sons'　academy　in　Pennsylvania；　and　Clarence；　the　youngest；　at　a　prep。　school　in　Massachusetts；　was　divided　in　his　choice　of　career　between　becoming　a　doctor　or　an　aviator。　　The　three　girls；　two　of　them　twins；　were　pledged　to　be　cultured　into　ladies。　　Elsie　was　on　the　verge　of　graduating　from　Vassar。　　Mary　and　Madeline；　the　twins；　in　the　most　select　and　most　expensive　of　seminaries；　were　preparing　for　Vassar。　　All　of　which　required　money　which　Harris　Collins　did　not　grudge；　but　which　strained　the　earning　capacity　of　his　animal…training　school。　　It　compelled　him　to　work　the　harder；　although　his　wife　and　the　four　sons　and　three　daughters　did　not　dream　that　he　actually　worked　at　all。　　Their　idea　was　that　by　virtue　of　superior　wisdom　he　merely　superintended；　and　they　would　have　been　terribly　shocked　could　they　have　seen　him；　club　in　hand；　thrashing　forty　mongrel　dogs；　in　the　process　of　training；　which　had　become　excited　and　out　of　hand。

A　great　deal　of　the　work　was　done　by　his　assistants；　but　it　was　Harris　Collins　who　taught　them　continually　what　to　do　and　how　to　do　it；　and　who　himself；　on　more　important　animals；　did　the　work　and　showed　them　how。　　His　assistants　were　almost　invariably　youths　from　the　reform　schools；　and　he　picked　them　with　skilful　eye　and　intuition。　　Control　of　them；　under　their　paroles；　with　intelligence　and　coldness　on　their　part；　were　the　conditions　and　qualities　he　sought；　and　such　combination；　as　a　matter　of　course；　carried　with　it　cruelty。　　Hot　blood；　generous　impulses；　sentimentality；　were　qualities　he　did　not　want　for　his　business；　and　the　Cedarwild　Animal　School　was　business　from　the　first　tick　of　the　clock　to　the　last　bite　of　the　lash。　　In　short；　Harris　Collins；　in　the　totality　of　results；　was　guilty　of　causing　more　misery　and　pain　to　animals　than　all　laboratories　of　vivisection　in　Christendom。

And　into　this　animal　hell　Michael　descendedalthough　his　arrival　was　horizontal；　across　three　thousand　five　hundred　miles；　in　the　same　crate　in　which　he　had　been　placed　at　the　New　Washington　Hotel　in　Seattle。　　Never　once　had　he　been　out　of　the　crate　during　the　entire　journey；　and　filthiness；　as　well　as　wretchedness；　characterized　his　condition。　　Thanks　to　his　general　good　health；　the　wound　of　the　amputated　toe　was　in　the　process　of　uneventful　healing。　　But　dirt　clung　to　him；　and　he　was　infested　with　fleas。

Cedarwild；　to　look　at；　was　anything　save　a　hell。　　Velvet　lawns；　gravelled　walks　and　drives；　and　flowers　formally　growing；　led　up　to　the　group　of　long　low　buildings；　some　of　frame　and　some　of　concrete。　　But　Michael　was　not　received　by　Harris　Collins；　who；　at　the　moment；　sat　in　his　private　office；　Harry　Del　Mar's　last　telegram　on　his　desk；　writing　a　memorandum　to　his　secretary　to　query　the　railroad　and　the　express　companies　for　the　whereabouts　of　a　dog；　crated　and　shipped　by　one；　Harry　Del　Mar；　from　Seattle　and　consigned　to　Cedarwild。　　It　was　a　pallid…eyed　youth　of　eighteen　in　overalls　who　received　Michael；　receipted　for　him　to　the　expressman；　and　carried　his　crate　into　a　slope…floored　concrete　room　that　smelled　offensively　and　chemically　clean。

Michael　was　impressed　by　his　surroundings　but　not　attracted　by　the　youth；　who　rolled　up　his　sleeves　and　encased　himself　in　large　oilskin　apron　before　he　opened　the　crate。　　Michael　sprang　out　and　staggered　about　on　legs　which　had　not　walked　for　days。　　This　particular　two…legged　god　was　uninteresting。　　He　was　as　cold　as　the　concrete　floor；　as　methodical　as　a　machine；　and　in　such　fashion　he　went　about　the　washing；　scrubbing；　and　disinfecting　of　Michael。　　For　Harris　Collins　was　scientific　and　antiseptic　to　the　last　word　in　his　handling　of　animals；　and　Michael　was　scientifically　made　clean；　without　deliberate　harshness；　but　without　any　slightest　hint　of　gentleness　or　consideration。

Naturally；　he　did　not　understand。　　On　top　of　all　he　had　already　experienced；　not　even　knowing　executioners　and　execution　chambers；　for　all　he　knew　this　bare　room　of　cement　and　chemical　smell　might　well　be　the　place　of　the　ultimate　life…disaster　and　this　youth　the　god　who　was　to　send　him　into　the　dark　which　had　engulfed　all　he　had　known　and　loved。　　What　Michael　did　know　beyond　the　shadow　of　any　doubt　was　that　it　was　all　coldly　ominous　and　terribly　strange。　He　endured　the　hand　of　the　youth…god　on　the　scruff　of　his　neck；　after　the　collar　had　been　unbuckled；　but　when　the　hose　was　turned　on　him；　he　resented　and　resisted。　　The　youth；　merely　working　by　formula；　tightened　the　safe　grip　on　the　scruff　of　Michael's　neck　and　lifted　him　clear　of　the　floor；　at　the　same　time；　with　the　other　hand；　directing　the　stream　of　water　into　his　mouth　and　increasing　it　to　full　force　by　the　nozzle　control。　　Michael　fought；　and　was　well　drowned　for　his　pains；　until　he　gasped　and　strangled　helplessly。

After　that　he　resisted　no　more；　and　was　washed　out　and　scrubbed　out　and　cleansed　out　with　the　hose；　a　big　bristly　brush；　and　much　carbolic　soap；　the　lather　of　which　got　into　and　stung　his　eyes　and　nose；　causing　him　to　weep　copiously　and　sneeze　violently。　Apprehensive　of　what　might　at　any　moment　happen　to　him；　but　by　this　time　aware　that　the　youth　was　neither　positive　nor　negative　for　kindness　or　harm；　Michael　continued　to　endure　without　further　battling；　until；　clean　and　comfortable；　he　was　put　away　into　a　pen；　sweet　and　wholesome；　where　he　slept　and　for　the　time　being　forgot。　　The　place　was　the　hospital；　or　segregation　ward；　and　a　week　of　imprisonment　was　spent　therein；　in　which　nothing　happened　in　the　way　of　development　of　germ　diseases；　and　nothing　happened　to　him　except　regular　good　food；　pure　drinking…water；　and　absolute　isolation　from　contact　with　all　life　save　the　youth…god　who；　like　an　automaton；　attended　on　him。

Michael　had　yet　to　meet　Harris　Collins；　although；　from　a　distance；　often　he　heard　his　voice；　not　loud；　but　very　imperative。　　That　the　owner　of　this　voice　was　a　high　god；　Michael　knew　from　the　first　sound　of　it。　　Only　a　high　god；　a　master　over　ordinary　gods；　could　be　so　imperative。　　Will　was　in　that　voice；　and　accustomedness　to　command。　　Any　dog　would　have　so　decided　as　quickly　as　Michael　did。　And　any　dog　would　have　decided　that　there　was　no　love　nor　lovableness　in　the　god　behind　the　voice；　nothing　to　warm　one's　heart　nor　to　adore。



CHAPTER　XXV



It　was　at　eleven　in　the　morning　that　the　pale　youth…god　put　collar　and　chain　on　Michael