Ranson's Folly (Fiscle Part 3) by Richard Harding Davis (best black authors .TXT) 📖

"Mr. Polk Knows More About Bull-

Terriers Than Any Amateur In America. What Can He Mean? Why,  Kid Is

No More Than A Puppy! Three Hundred Dollars For A Puppy!"

 

"And He Ain't No Thoroughbred Neither!" Cries The Master. "He's

'Unknown,' Ain't He? Kid Can't Help It,  Of Course,  But His Mother,

Miss--"

 

I Dropped My Head. I Couldn't Bear He Should Tell Miss Dorothy. I

Couldn't Bear She Should Know I Had Stolen My Blue Ribbon.

 

But The Master Never Told,  For At That,  A Gentleman Runs Up,  Calling,

"Three Twenty-Six,  Three Twenty-Six," And Miss Dorothy Says,  "Here He

Is,  What Is It?"

 

"The Winner's Class," Says The Gentleman "Hurry,  Please. The Judge Is

Waiting For Him."

 

Nolan Tries To Get Me Off The Chain Onto A Showing Leash,  But He

Shakes So,  He Only Chokes Me. "What Is It,  Miss?" He Says. "What Is

It?"

 

"The Winner's Class," Says Miss Dorothy. "The Judge Wants Him With

The Winners Of The Other Classes--To Decide Which Is The Best. It's

Only A Form," Says She. "He Has The Champions Against Him Now."

 

"Yes," Says The Gentleman,  As He Hurries Us To The Ring. "I'm Afraid

It's Only A Form For Your Dog,  But The Judge Wants All The Winners,

Puppy Class Even."

 

We Had Got To The Gate,  And The Gentleman There Was Writing Down My

Number.

 

"Who Won The Open?" Asks Miss Dorothy.

 

"Oh,  Who Would?" Laughs The Gentleman. "The Old Champion,  Of Course.

He's Won For Three Years Now. There He Is. Isn't He Wonderful?" Says

He,  And He Points To A Dog That's Standing Proud And Haughty On The

Platform In The Middle Of The Ring.

 

I Never See So Beautiful A Dog,  So Fine And Clean And Noble,  So White

Like He Had Rolled Hisself In Flour,  Holding His Nose Up And His Eyes

Shut,  Same As Though No One Was Worth Looking At. Aside Of Him,  We

Other Dogs,  Even Though We Had A Blue Ribbon Apiece,  Seemed Like

Lumps Of Mud. He Was A Royal Gentleman,  A King,  He Was. His Master

Didn't Have To Hold His Head With No Leash. He Held It Hisself,

Standing As Still As An Iron Dog On A Lawn,  Like He Knew All The

People Was Looking At Him. And So They Was,  And No One Around The

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Ring Pointed At No Other Dog But Him.

 

"Oh,  What A Picture," Cried Miss Dorothy; "He's Like A Marble Figure

By A Great Artist--One Who Loved Dogs. Who Is He?" Says She,  Looking

In Her Book. "I Don't Keep Up With Terriers."

 

"Oh,  You Know Him," Says The Gentleman. "He Is The Champion Of

Champions,  Regent Royal."

 

The Master's Face Went Red.

 

"And This Is Regent Royal's Son," Cries He,  And He Pulls Me Quick

Into The Ring,  And Plants Me On The Platform Next My Father.

 

I Trembled So That I Near Fall. My Legs Twisted Like A Leash. But My

Father He Never Looked At Me. He Only Smiled,  The Same Sleepy Smile,

And He Still Keep His Eyes Half-Shut,  Like As No One,  No,  Not Even

His Son,  Was Worth His Lookin' At.

 

The Judge,  He Didn't Let Me Stay Beside My Father,  But,  One By One,

He Placed The Other Dogs Next To Him And Measured And Felt And Pulled

At Them. And Each One He Put Down,  But He Never Put My Father Down.

And Then He Comes Over And Picks Up Me And Sets Me Back On The

Platform,  Shoulder To Shoulder With The Champion Regent Royal,  And

Goes Down On His Knees,  And Looks Into Our Eyes.

 

The Gentleman With My Father,  He Laughs,  And Says To The Judge,

"Thinking Of Keeping Us Here All Day. John?" But The Judge,  He

Doesn't Hear Him,  And Goes Behind Us And Runs His Hand Down My Side,

And Holds Back My Ears,  And Takes My Jaws Between His Fingers. The

Crowd Around The Ring Is Very Deep Now,  And Nobody Says Nothing. The

Gentleman At The Score-Table,  He Is Leaning Forward,  With His Elbows

On His Knees,  And His Eyes Very Wide,  And The Gentleman At The Gate

Is Whispering Quick To Miss Dorothy,  Who Has Turned White. I Stood As

Stiff As Stone. I Didn't Even Breathe. But Out Of The Corner Of My

Eye I Could See My Father Licking His Pink Chops,  And Yawning Just A

Little,  Like He Was Bored.

 

The Judge,  He Had Stopped Looking Fierce,  And Was Looking Solemn.

Something Inside Him Seemed A Troubling Him Awful. The More He Stares

At Us Now,  The More Solemn He Gets,  And When He Touches Us He Does It

Gentle,  Like He Was Patting Us. For A Long Time He Kneels In The

Sawdust,  Looking At My Father And At Me,  And No One Around The Ring

Says Nothing To Nobody.

 

Then The Judge Takes A Breath And Touches Me Sudden. "It's His," He

Says,  But He Lays His Hand Just As Quick On My Father. "I'm Sorry,"

Says He.

 

The Gentleman Holding My Father Cries:

 

"Do You Mean To Tell Me--"

 

And The Judge,  He Answers,  "I Mean The Other Is The Better Dog." He

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Takes My Father's Head Between His Hands And Looks Down At Him,  Most

Sorrowful. "The King Is Dead," Says He,  "Long Live The King. Good-By,

Regent," He Says.

 

The Crowd Around The Railings Clapped Their Hands,  And Some Laughed

Scornful,  And Everyone Talks Fast,  And I Start For The Gate So Dizzy

That I Can't See My Way. But My Father Pushes In Front Of Me,  Walking

Very Daintily,  And Smiling Sleepy,  Same As He Had Just Been Waked,

With His Head High,  And His Eyes Shut,  Looking At Nobody.

 

So That Is How I "Came By My Inheritance," As Miss Dorothy Calls It,

And Just For That,  Though I Couldn't Feel Where I Was Any Different,

The Crowd Follows Me To My Bench,  And Pats Me,  And Coos At Me,  Like I

Was A Baby In A Baby-Carriage. And The Handlers Have To Hold 'Em Back

So That The Gentlemen From The Papers Can Make Pictures Of Me,  And

Nolan Walks Me Up And Down So Proud,  And The Men Shakes Their Heads

And Says,  "He Certainly Is The True Type,  He Is!" And The Pretty

Ladies Asks Miss Dorothy,  Who Sits Beside Me Letting Me Lick Her

Gloves To Show The Crowd What Friends We Is,  "Aren't You Afraid He'll

Bite You?" And Jimmy Jocks Calls To Me,  "Didn't I Tell You So! I

Always Knew You Were One Of Us. Blood Will Out,  Kid,  Blood Will Out.

I Saw Your Grandfather," Says He,  "Make His Debut At The Crystal

Palace. But He Was Never The Dog You Are!"

 

After That,  If I Could Have Asked For It,  There Was Nothing I

Couldn't Get. You Might Have Thought I Was A Snow-Dog,  And They Was

Afeerd I'd Melt. If I Wet My Pats,  Nolan Gave Me A Hot Bath And

Chained Me To The Stove; If I Couldn't Eat My Food,  Being Stuffed

Full By The Cook,  For I Am A House-Dog Now,  And Let In To Lunch

Whether There Is Visitors Or Not,  Nolan Would Run To Bring The Vet.

It Was All Tommy-Rot,  As Jimmy Says,  But Meant Most Kind. I Couldn't

Scratch Myself Comfortable,  Without Nolan Giving Me Nasty Drinks,  And

Rubbing Me Outside Till It Burnt Awful,  And I Wasn't Let To Eat Bones

For Fear Of Spoiling My "Beautiful" Mouth,  What Mother Used To Call

My "Punishing Jaw," And My Food Was Cooked Special On A Gas-Stove,

And Miss Dorothy Gives Me An Overcoat,  Cut Very Stylish Like The

Champions',  To Wear When We Goes Out Carriage-Driving.

 

After The Next Show,  Where I Takes Three Blue Ribbons,  Four Silver

Cups,  Two Medals,  And Brings Home Forty-Five Dollars For Nolan,  They

Gives Me A "Registered" Name,  Same As Jimmy's. Miss Dorothy Wanted To

Call Me "Regent Heir Apparent," But I Was That Glad When Nolan Says,

"No,  Kid Don't Owe Nothing To His Father,  Only To You And Hisself.

So,  If You Please,  Miss,  We'll Call Him Wyndham Kid." And So They

Did,  And You Can See It On My Overcoat In Blue Letters,  And Painted

Top Of My Kennel. It Was All Too Hard To Understand. For Days I Just

Sat And Wondered If I Was Really Me,  And How It All Come About,  And

Why Everybody Was So Kind. But,  Oh,  It Was So Good They Was,  For If

They Hadn't Been,  I'd Never Have Got The Thing I Most Wished After.

But,  Because They Was Kind,  And Not Liking To Deny Me Nothing,  They

Gave It Me,  And It Was More To Me Than Anything In The World.

 

It Came About One Day When We Was Out Driving. We Was In The Cart

They Calls The Dog-Cart,  Because It's The One Miss Dorothy Keeps To

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Take Jimmy And Me For An Airing. Nolan Was Up Behind,  And Me In My

New Overcoat Was Sitting Beside Miss Dorothy. I Was Admiring The

View,  And Thinking How Good It Was To Have A Horse Pull You About So

That You Needn't Get Yourself Splashed And Have To Be Washed,  When I

Hears A Dog Calling Loud For Help,  And I Pricks Up My Ears And Looks

Over The Horse's Head. And I Sees Something That Makes Me Tremble

Down To My Toes. In The Road Before Us Three Big Dogs Was Chasing A

Little,  Old Lady-Dog. She Had A String To Her Tail,  Where Some Boys

Had Tied A Can,  And She Was Dirty With Mud And Ashes,  And Torn Most

Awful. She Was Too Far Done Up To Get Away,  And Too Old To Help

Herself,  But She Was Making A Fight For Her Life,  Snapping Her Old

Gums Savage,  And Dying Game. All This I See In A Wink,  And Then The

Three Dogs Pinned Her Down,  And I Can't Stand It No Longer And Clears

The Wheel And Lands In The Road On My Head. It Was My Stylish

Overcoat Done That,  And I Curse It Proper,  But I Gets My Pats Again

Quick,  And Makes A Rush For The Fighting. Behind Me I Hear Miss

Dorothy Cry,  "They'll Kill That Old Dog. Wait,  Take My Whip. Beat

Them Off Her! The Kid Can Take Care Of Himself," And I Hear Nolan

Fall Into The Road,  And The Horse Come To A Stop. The Old