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A
DARK BROWN DOG STEPHAN
CRANE A Child
was standing on a street-corner. He leaned with one shoulder against a high
board-fence and swayed the other to and fro, the while kicking carelessly at the
gravel. Sunshine
beat upon the cobbles, and a lazy summer wind raised yellow dust which trailed
in clouds down the avenue. Clattering trucks moved with indistinctness through
it. The child stood dreamily gazing. After
a time, a little dark-brown dog came trotting with an intent air down the
sidewalk. A short rope was dragging from his neck. Occasionally he trod upon the
end of it and stumbled. He
stopped opposite the child, and the two regarded each other. The dog hesitated
for a moment, but presently he made some little advances with his tail. The
child put out his hand and called him. In an apologetic manner the dog came
close, and the two had an interchange of friendly pattings and waggles. The dog
became more enthusiastic with each moment of the interview, until with his
gleeful caperings he threatened to overturn the child. Whereupon the child
lifted his hand and struck the dog a blow upon the head. This
thing seemed to overpower and astonish the little dark-brown dog, and wounded
him to the heart. He sank down in despair at the child's feet. When the blow was
repeated, together with an admonition in childish sentences, he turned over upon
his back, and held his paws in a peculiar manner. At the same time with his ears
and his eyes he offered a small prayer to the child. He
looked so comical on his back, and holding his paws peculiarly, that the child
was greatly amused and gave him little taps repeatedly, to keep him so. But the
little dark-brown dog took this chastisement in the most serious way, and no
doubt considered that he had committed some grave crime, for he wriggled
contritely and showed his repentance in every way that was in his power. He
pleaded with the child and petitioned him, and offered more prayers. At
last the child grew weary of this amusement and turned toward home. The dog was
praying at the time. He lay on his back and turned his eyes upon the retreating
form. Presently
he struggled to his feet and started after the child. The latter wandered in a
perfunctory way toward his home, stopping at times to investigate various
matters. During one of these pauses he discovered the little dark-brown dog who
was following him with the air of a footpad. The
child beat his pursuer with a small stick he had found. The dog lay down and
prayed until the child had finished, and resumed his journey. Then he scrambled
erect and took up the pursuit again. On
the way to his home the child turned many times and beat the dog, proclaiming
with childish gestures that he held him in contempt as an unimportant dog, with
no value save for a moment. For being this quality of animal the dog apologized
and eloquently expressed regret, but he continued stealthily to follow the
child. His manner grew so very guilty that he slunk like an assassin. When
the child reached his door-step, the dog was industriously ambling a few yards
in the rear. He became so agitated with shame when he again confronted the child
that he forgot the dragging rope. He tripped upon it and fell forward. The
child sat down on the step and the two had another interview. During it the dog
greatly exerted himself to please the child. He performed a few gambols with
such abandon that the child suddenly saw him to be a valuable thing. He made a
swift, avaricious charge and seized the rope. He
dragged his captive into a hall and up many long stairways in a dark tenement.
The dog made willing efforts, but he could not hobble very skilfully up the
stairs because he was very small and soft, and at last the pace of the engrossed
child grew so energetic that the dog became panic-stricken. In his mind he was
being dragged toward a grim unknown. His eyes grew wild with the terror of it.
He began to wiggle his head frantically and to brace his legs. The
child redoubled his exertions. They had a battle on the stairs. The child was
victorious because he was completely absorbed in his purpose, and because the
dog was very small. He dragged his acquirement to the door of his home, and
finally with triumph across the threshold. No
one was in. The child sat down on the floor and made overtures to the dog. These
the dog instantly accepted. He beamed with affection upon his new friend. In a
short time they were firm and abiding comrades. When
the child's family appeared, they made a great row. The dog was examined and
commented upon and called names. Scorn was leveled at him from all eyes, so that
he became much embarrassed and drooped like a scorched plant. But the child went
sturdily to the center of the floor, and, at the top of his voice, championed
the dog. It happened that he was roaring protestations, with his arms clasped
about the dog's neck, when the father of the family came in from work. The
parent demanded to know what the blazes they were making the kid howl for. It
was explained in many words that the infernal kid wanted to introduce a
disreputable dog into the family. A
family council was held. On this depended the dog's fate, but he in no way
heeded, being busily engaged in chewing the end of the child's dress. The
affair was quickly ended. The father of the family, it appears, was in a
particularly savage temper that evening, and when he perceived that it would
amaze and anger everybody if such a dog were allowed to remain, he decided that
it should be so. The child, crying softly, took his friend off to a retired part
of the room to hobnob with him, while the father quelled a fierce rebellion of
his wife. So it came to pass that the dog was a member of the household. He
and the child were associated together at all times save when the child slept.
The child became a guardian and a friend. If the large folk kicked the dog and
threw things at him, the child made loud and violent objections. Once when the
child had run, protesting loudly, with tears raining down his face and his arms
outstretched, to protect his friend, he had been struck in the head with a very
large saucepan from the hand of his father, enraged at some seeming lack of
courtesy in the dog. Ever after, the family were careful how they threw things
at the dog. Moreover, the latter grew very skilful in avoiding missiles and
feet. In a small room containing a stove, a table, a bureau and some chairs, he
would display strategic ability of a high order, dodging, feinting and scuttling
about among the furniture. He could force three or four people armed with
brooms, sticks and handfuls of coal, to use all their ingenuity to get in a
blow. And even when they did, it was seldom that they could do him a serious
injury or leave any imprint. But
when the child was present, these scenes did not occur. It came to be recognized
that if the dog was molested, the child would burst into sobs, and as the child,
when started, was very riotous and practically unquenchable, the dog had therein
a safeguard. However,
the child could not always be near. At night, when he was asleep, his dark-brown
friend would raise from some black corner a wild, wailful cry, a song of
infinite lowliness and despair, that would go shuddering and sobbing among the
buildings of the block and cause people to swear. At these times the singer
would often be chased all over the kitchen and hit with a great variety of
articles. Sometimes,
too, the child himself used to beat the dog, although it is not known that he
ever had what could be truly called a just cause. The dog always accepted these
thrashings with an air of admitted guilt. He was too much of a dog to try to
look to be a martyr or to plot revenge. He received the blows with deep
humility, and furthermore he forgave his friend the moment the child had
finished, and was ready to caress the child's hand with his little red tongue. When
misfortune came upon the child, and his troubles overwhelmed him, he would often
crawl under the table and lay his small distressed head on the dog's back. The
dog was ever sympathetic. It is not to be supposed that at such times he took
occasion to refer to the unjust beatings his friend, when provoked, had
administered to him. He
did not achieve any notable degree of intimacy with the other members of the
family. He had no confidence in them, and the fear that he would express at
their casual approach often exasperated them exceedingly. They used to gain a
certain satisfaction in underfeeding him, but finally his friend the child grew
to watch the matter with some care, and when he forgot it, the dog was often
successful in secret for himself. So
the dog prospered. He developed a large bark, which came wondrously from such a
small rug of a dog. He ceased to howl persistently at night. Sometimes, indeed,
in his sleep, he would utter little yells, as from pain, but that occurred, no
doubt, when in his dreams he encountered huge flaming dogs who threatened him
direfully. His
devotion to the child grew until it was a sublime thing. He wagged at his
approach; he sank down in despair at his departure. He could detect the sound of
the child's step among all the noises of the neighborhood. It was like a calling
voice to him. The
scene of their companionship was a kingdom governed by this terrible potentate,
the child; but neither criticism nor rebellion ever lived for an instant in the
heart of the one subject. Down in the mystic, hidden fields of his little
dog-soul bloomed flowers of love and fidelity and perfect faith. The
child was in the habit of going on many expeditions to observe strange things in
the vicinity. On these occasions his friend usually jogged aimfully along
behind. Perhaps, though, he went ahead. This necessitated his turning around
every quarter-minute to make sure the child was coming. He was filled with a
large idea of the importance of these journeys. He would carry himself with such
an air! He was proud to be the retainer of so great a monarch. One
day, however, the father of the family got quite exceptionally drunk. He came
home and held carnival with the cooking utensils, the furniture and his wife. He
was in the midst of this recreation when the child, followed by the dark-brown
dog, entered the room. They were returning from their voyages. The
child's practised eye instantly noted his father's state. He dived under the
table, where experience had taught him was a rather safe place. The dog, lacking
skill in such matters, was, of course, unaware of the true condition of affairs.
He looked with interested eyes at his friend's sudden dive. He interpreted it to
mean: Joyous gambol. He started to patter across the floor to join him. He was
the picture of a little dark-brown dog en route to a friend. The
head of the family saw him at this moment. He gave a huge howl of joy, and
knocked the dog down with a heavy coffee-pot. The dog, yelling in supreme
astonishment and fear, writhed to his feet and ran for cover. The man kicked out
with a ponderous foot. It caused the dog to swerve as if caught in a tide. A
second blow of the coffee-pot laid him upon the floor. Here
the child, uttering loud cries, came valiantly forth like a knight. The father
of the family paid no attention to these calls of the child, but advanced with
glee upon the dog. Upon being knocked down twice in swift succession, the latter
apparently gave up all hope of escape. He rolled over on his back and held his
paws in a peculiar manner. At the same time with his eyes and his ears he
offered up a small prayer. But
the father was in a mood for having fun, and it occurred to him that it would be
a fine thing to throw the dog out of the window. So he reached down and grabbing
the animal by a leg, lifted him, squirming, up. He swung him two or three times
hilariously about his head, and then flung him with great accuracy through the
window. The
soaring dog created a surprise in the block. A woman watering plants in an
opposite window gave an involuntary shout and dropped a flower-pot. A man in
another window leaned perilously out to watch the flight of the dog. A woman,
who had been hanging out clothes in a yard, began to caper wildly. Her mouth was
filled with clothes-pins, but her arms gave vent to a sort of exclamation. In
appearance she was like a gagged prisoner. Children ran whooping. The
dark-brown body crashed in a heap on the roof of a shed five stories below. From
thence it rolled to the pavement of an alleyway. The
child in the room far above burst into a long, dirgelike cry, and toddled
hastily out of the room. It took him a long time to reach the alley, because his
size compelled him to go downstairs backward, one step at a time, and holding
with both hands to the step above. When
they came for him later, they found him seated by the body of his dark-brown
friend. |
