按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ver there at Billy Green。 There ain't another way to teach that dog that trick。 You can't love her into doing it。 You can't pay her to do it。 There's only one way； and that's MAKE her。〃
Billy Green； at the moment； was training a tiny； nondescript； frizzly…haired dog。 Always； on the stage； he made a hit by drawing from his pocket a tiny dog that would do this particular trick。 The last one had died from a wrenched back； and he was now breaking in a new one。 He was catching the little mite by the hind…legs and tossing it up in the air； where； making a half…flip and descending head first； it was supposed to alight with its fore…feet on his hand and there balance itself； its hind feet and body above it in the air。 Again and again he stooped； caught her hind…legs and flung her up into the half…turn。 Almost frozen with fear； she vainly strove to effect the trick。 Time after time； and every time； she failed to make the balance。 Sometimes she fell crumpled； several times she all but struck the ground： and once； she did strike； on her side and so hard as to knock the breath out of her。 Her master； taking advantage of the moment to wipe the sweat from his streaming face； nudged her about with his toe till she staggered weakly to her feet。
〃The dog was never born that'd learn that trick for the promise of a bit of meat；〃 Collins went on。 〃Any more than was the dog ever born that'd walk on its fore…legs without having its hind…legs rapped up in the air with the stick a thousand times。 Yet you take that trick there。 It's always a winner； especially with the womenso cunning； you know； so adorable cute； to be yanked out of its beloved master's pocket and to have such trust and confidence in him as to allow herself to be tossed around that way。 Trust and confidence hell！ He's put the fear of God into her； that's what。〃
〃Just the same； to dig a dainty out of your pocket once in a while and give an animal a nibble； always makes a hit with the audience。 That's about all it's good for； yet it's a good stunt。 Audiences like to believe that the animals enjoy doing their tricks； and that they are treated like pampered darlings； and that they just love their masters to death。 But God help all of us and our meal tickets if the audiences could see behind the scenes。 Every trained…animal turn would be taken off the stage instanter； and we'd be all hunting for a job。〃
〃Yes； and there's rough stuff no end pulled off on the stage right before the audience's eyes。 The best fooler I ever saw was Lottie's。 She had a bunch of trained cats。 She loved them to death right before everybody； especially if a trick wasn't going good。 What'd she do？ She'd take that cat right up in her arms and kiss it。 And when she put it down it'd perform the trick all right all right； while the audience applauded its silly head off for the kindness and humaneness she'd shown。 Kiss it？ Did she？ I'll tell you what she did。 She bit its nose。〃
〃Eleanor Pavalo learned the trick from Lottie； and used it herself on her toy dogs。 And many a dog works on the stage in a spiked collar； and a clever man can twist a dog's nose and nobody in the audience any the wiser。 But it's the fear that counts。 It's what the dog knows he'll get afterward when the turn's over that keeps most of them straight。〃
〃Remember Captain Roberts and his great Danes。 They weren't pure… breds； though。 He must have had a dozen of themtoughest bunch of brutes I ever saw。 He boarded them here twice。 You couldn't go among them without a club in your hand。 I had a Mexican lad laid up by them。 He was a tough one； too。 But they got him down and nearly ate him。 The doctors took over forty stitches in him and shot him full of that Pasteur dope for hydrophobia。 And he always will limp with his right leg from what the dogs did to him。 I tell you； they were the limit。 And yet； every time the curtain went up； Captain Roberts brought the house down with the first stunt。 Those dogs just flocked all over him； loving him to death； from the looks of it。 And were they loving him？ They hated him。 I've seen him； right here in the cage at Cedarwild； wade into them with a club and whale the stuffing impartially out of all of them。 Sure； they loved him not。 Just a bit of the same old aniseed was what he used。 He'd soak small pieces of meat in aniseed oil and stick them in his pockets。 But that stunt would only work with a bunch of giant dogs like his。 It was their size that got it across。 Had they been a lot of ordinary dogs it would have looked silly。 And； besides； they didn't do their regular tricks for aniseed。 They did it for Captain Roberts's club。 He was a tough bird himself。〃
〃He used to say that the art of training animals was the art of inspiring them with fear。 One of his assistants told me a nasty one about him afterwards。 They had an off month in Los Angeles； and Captain Roberts got it into his head he was going to make a dog balance a silver dollar on the neck of a champagne bottle。 Now just think that over and try to see yourself loving a dog into doing it。 The assistant said he wore out about as many sticks as dogs； and that he wore out half a dozen dogs。 He used to get them from the public pound at two and a half apiece； and every time one died he had another ready and waiting。 And he succeeded with the seventh dog。 I'm telling you； it learned to balance a dollar on the neck of a bottle。 And it died from the effects of the learning within a week after he put it on the stage。 Abscesses in the lungs； from the stick。〃
〃There was an Englishman came over when I was a youngster。 He had ponies； monkeys； and dogs。 He bit the monkey's ears； so that； on the stage； all he had to do was to make a move as if he was going to bite and they'd quit their fooling and be good。 He had a big chimpanzee that was a winner。 It could turn four somersaults as fast as you could count on the back of a galloping pony； and he used to have to give it a real licking about twice a week。 And sometimes the lickings were too stiff； and the monkey'd get sick and have to lay off。 But the owner solved the problem。 He got to giving him a little licking； a mere taste of the stick； regular； just before the turn came on。 And that did it in his case； though with some other case the monkey most likely would have got sullen and not acted at all。〃
It was on that day that Harris Collins sold a valuable bit of information to a lion man who needed it。 It was off time for him； and his three lions were boarding at Cedarwild。 Their turn was an exciting and even terrifying one； when viewed from the audience； for； jumping about and roaring； they were made to appear as if about to destroy the slender little lady who performed with them and seemed to hold them in subjection only by her indomitable courage and a small riding…switch in her hand。
〃The trouble is they're getting too used to it；〃 the man complained。 〃Isadora can't prod them up any more。 They just won't make a showing。〃
〃I know them；〃 Collins nodded。 〃They're pretty old now； and they're spirit…broken besides。 Take old Sark there。 He's had so many blank cartridges fired into his ears that he's stone deaf。 And Selimhe lost his heart with his teeth。 A Portuguese fellow who was handling him for the Barnum and Bailey show did that for him。 You've heard？〃
〃I've often wondered；〃 the man shook his head。 〃It must have been a smash。〃
〃It was。 The Portuguese did it with an iron bar。 Selim was sulky and took a swipe at him with his paw； and he whopped it to him full in the mouth just as he opened it to let out a roar。 He told me about it himself。 Said Selim's teeth rattled on the floor like dominoes。 But he shouldn't have done it。 It was destroying valuable property。 Anyway； they fired him for it。〃
〃Well； all three of them ain't worth much to me now；〃 said their owner。 〃They won't play up to Isadora in that roaring and rampaging at the end。 It really made the turn。 It was our finale； and we always got a great hand for it。 Say； what am I going to do about it anyway？ Ditch it？ Or get some young lions？〃
〃Isadora would be safer with the old ones；〃 Collins said。
〃Too safe；〃 Isadora's husband objected。 〃Of cou