im out and tied him to a hook in the
wall, and the goat ran off the stage, and the monkeys ran to one side,
and one of them pulled out a little revolver, pointed it at the dog,
fired, and he dropped down as if he was dead.
"The monkeys stood looking at him, and then there was the most awful
hullabaloo you ever beard. Such a barking and yelping, and half a dozen
dogs rushed on the stage, and didn't they trundle those monkeys about.
They nosed them, and pushed them, and shook them, till they all ran
away, all but Miss Green, who sat shivering in a corner. After a while,
she crept up to the dead dog, pawed him a little, and didn't he jump up
as much alive as any of them? Everybody in the room clapped and shouted,
and then the curtain dropped, and the thing was over. I wish he'd give
another performance. Early in the morning he has to go to Boston."
Jack pushed my paws from his knees and went outdoors, and I began to
think that I would very much like to see those performing animals. It
was not yet tea time, and I would have plenty of time to take a run
down to the hotel where they were staying, so I set out. It was a lovely
autumn evening. The sun was going down in a haze, and it was quite warm.
Earlier in the day I had heard Mr. Morris say that this was our Indian
summer, and that we should soon have cold weather.
Fairport was a pretty little town, and from the principal street
one could look out upon the blue water of the bay and see the island
opposite, which was quite deserted now, for all the summer visitors had
gone home, and the Island House was shut up.
I was running down one of the steep side streets that led to the water
when I met a heavily-laden cart coming up. It must have been coming
from one of the vessels, for it was full of strange-looking boxes
and packages. A fine-looking nervous horse was drawing it, and he was
straining every nerve to get it up the steep hill. His driver was a
burly, hard-faced man, and instead of letting his horse stop a minute
to rest he kept urging him forward. The poor horse kept looking at his
master, his eyes almost starting from his head in terror. He knew that
the whip was about to descend on his quivering body. And so it did, and
there was no one by to interfere. No one but a woman in a ragged shawl
who would have no influence with the driver. There was a very good
humane society in Fairport, and none of the teamsters dared ill-use
their horses if any of the members were
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