CHAPTER VI
ANXIOUS DAYS
It was April before the three boys had an opportunity to accept Mrs.Hartshorn's invitation to visit her at Willowdale. On this occasion,as on the last, Mr. Hartshorn was away from home and there were onlythe four of them at luncheon. A soft-footed maid in a white cap andapron filled their plates with creamed chicken on toast, followed bydelicious hot waffles and maple syrup.
When luncheon was over, she led them into her husband's den and tookdown one of his books.
"I suppose you've been about filled up with dog talk," said she, "butI want to be sure that you're converted to a love for the toys. Somany men and boys don't care for them, but when you come to know aboutthem, they're just as interesting as any other dogs. That is, most ofthem are. There are some kinds that I confess I don't especially carefor myself. Come sit on the sofa and look at this book with me."
When they were comfortably seated, she began turning over the pages ofthe book, pointing out pictures of the various toy breeds.
"We'll take the short-coated ones first," said she, "since that's theway they're arranged in the book. Now can you imagine anything moredelicate and graceful than this little dog? It's the Italiangreyhound, you see. Some of the toy breeds have been created by adwarfing process by modern fanciers, but this little chap was known inItaly in the Middle Ages. You can see dogs something like him on Greekand Roman statuary.
"Now here's the good old pug. You know the pug, don't you? Therearen't so very many of them about now, though. They used to be thefavorite lap-dogs, but somehow the Poms and the Pekes have come in totake their place. It is a very old breed and its ancestors wereprobably brought from China by the Dutch who later introduced it intoEngland. Fawn used to be the popular color, but black has been infavor for several years.
"Now these are what we call miniatures, because they are merely dwarfsof larger breeds. The toy Manchester or black-and-tan was bred fromthe large Manchester terrier and should look just like his bigbrother, only he should weigh less than seven pounds. Same way withthe toy bull terrier. The miniature bulldog was developed sixty yearsor more ago by the lace workers of Nottingham, England."
The boys were much interested in the next picture, which showed thetiniest sort of a dog sitting in a glass tumbler.
"Why," said Jack, "he looks more like a rat than a dog."
"It's a real dog, nevertheless," said Mrs. Hartshorn, "though probablythe smallest breed in the world. It's a Chihuahua, pronouncedChe-wa-wa, and it comes from Mexico. They weigh from a pound and ahalf to about four pounds, about as much as a kitten. Of course,they're rather delicate, and I doubt if you could expect one to attacka tramp. The head is round as an apple, with pointed nose and big,outstanding ears. The Chihuahua always has a little soft spot in thetop of the skull.
"Now we come to the long-haired toys, which are the most popular atthe present time. I believe the Pomeranian is the most popular of themall. He is really a small spitz and came first from Germany. Younoticed Tip's compact little body, fox-like head, and alertexpression. A wonderful little dog. His chief glory is his fine,fluffy coat and mane.
"Then there are the English toy spaniels. They used to be all calledKing Charles spaniels and were named after Charles II of England, whowas very fond of them. Now the authorities have divided them into fourvarieties according to color, though they are all the same breed. TheBlenheim is red or orange and white, the ruby is chestnut red, theKing Charles is black and tan, and the Prince Charles istri-color--black, white, and tan.
Pekingese]
"The Pekingese is another of the very popular ones. A brave, proudlittle chap, as he should be, for he was the pet of Chinese emperorsfor hundreds of years. The first ones were brought to England in 1860when the Europeans took the city of Peking and sacked the royalpalaces. Before that time they had been carefully guarded as sacredanimals. You see they look somewhat different from the English toyspaniel. The head is flatter, for one thing.
"The Japanese spaniel is still different, though he is probablyrelated to the Peke. He has been the pet of the Japs for centuries.The colors are black and white or red and white, and the weight isseven pounds, more or less. This snowy white one, with his brightlittle face, is a Maltese dog. He also has an ancient lineage. He wasknown in ancient Greece and Rome and has been in England since thetime of Henry VIII. You saw my toy poodle. It's just a miniature ofthe big poodle and has been popular in France and England for over acentury. Very popular here now, too.
"Now we come to the last of the more prominent breeds of toys, and theonly one with a wire coat. He comes from Belgium and he's called theBrussels griffon. Don't you love his little monkey face, with itsbeard and mustache? He's a hardy, intelligent, affectionate littledog, too. Some folks think he's the smartest of all the toys.
"There," she concluded, passing them the book to look over again, "Iguess you've had enough for one day. You'll begin to think I'm as badas my husband. But I didn't want you to get the idea that the onlyreal dog is a big dog. Don't you think that some of these toy breedsdeserve some respect, now that you know something of their honorablehistory?"
"Well, I should say so," said Ernest. "I had no idea there were somany different kinds or that they had any special history. I want tosee those Pekes again, whose grandfathers were stolen from theChinese emperors."
The interest in toys had been kindled, and the boys took occasionlater to refresh their memories from books that Mr. Hartshorn lentthem, but when Ernest and Jack reached home that afternoon the toybreeds were swept entirely out of their minds for the time being. ForRomulus appeared to be ailing and Remus was evidently quite sick.
The two setter puppies had been growing rapidly and had been allowedto run out in the yard as the April days grew warmer. They had lostsome of their puppy awkwardness though none of their puppyplayfulness, and were fast developing into strong-boned, active dogs.They had begun to appear more devoted to their young masters, too, andto understand better the meaning of the words they were expected toobey. Needless to say, the boys had become deeply attached to them.
There is nothing more pitiful to look at than a sick dog, and therewas something very sad in the way these two rollicking, healthypuppies were so suddenly stricken down. The boys, not finding them inthe yard, had gone at once to Rome. There lay Remus on the bed,breathing with difficulty, and recognizing their approach only by araising of his brows and a pathetic little effort to wag his tail.Romulus came to greet them a little weakly, but he, too, looked veryforlorn and somehow very thin and little. Both dogs seemed to berunning from the eyes and nose and to be suffering from feverishcolds.
"Oh, Ernest," cried Jack, the tears coming to his eyes at the sight oftheir suffering, "they're sick. Whatever shall we do?"
"I don't know," said Ernest. "I don't know what you do for a sick dog.We will ask father. He'll be home soon."
Mr. Whipple came out to look at the dogs soon after his return, but hewas unable to suggest anything very helpful. He prescribed warm milkfor dinner, and the puppies both drank it, though without muchenthusiasm. That night the boys spread burlap blankets over the dogsand went to bed with heavy hearts.
The next morning and the morning after Romulus and Remus did not seemto be any better, nor, luckily, very much worse. The boys did whatthey could for them, keeping them warm and feeding them beef soup andwarm milk, but they did not seem to be making much progress with thecure. So on Monday Ernest sent another postal card to Sam Bumpus,begging him to come down and look at the dogs. They had infiniteconfidence in Sam.
He did not fail them, and on Tuesday afternoon after the boys hadcome home from school Sam appeared. By this time both dogs were prettysick. They had lost flesh and looked pitifully thin and weak and wan.They seemed to have trouble breathing and to be affected by othercomplications. They looked up at their young masters with big,pathetic eyes, as though pleading for help in their affliction.
The boys watched Sam anxiously as he examined the dogs. His face wasgrave.
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"It's distemper," said he. "I was afraid it was. Distemper's no joke;it's the dog's worst enemy. Sometimes it runs into pneumonia, or thedogs die in fits, or just waste away and give up. But cheer up; I'veseen lots of 'em pull through, and we'll try to save these two. You'vedone the right thing so far. Careful nursin' does it. Keep 'em dry andout of draughts and keep up their strength with good food, easy todigest. Most dogs that die of distemper die because they didn't havestrength enough to last 'em through. The disease has to have its run,and in time it just naturally runs out. That's the way I look at it.It don't do much good to try to cure 'em with medicine. As I say, it'sthe nursin' does the trick. Still, some folks believe in givin'quinine and you can do that if you want to. It's a tonic and it can'tdo any harm if you don't give too much. And keep their eyes and noseswashed out with boracic acid."
"Is this place all right for them?" asked Ernest.
"Sure," said Sam. "It's a good place, now that the weather is mild.The more fresh air the better, so long as it ain't damp or too cold ordraughty. You keep fussin' over 'em and let me know how they getalong. Give 'em plenty of clean water and feed 'em a good deal of milkporridge several times a day. Better cut out the solid food tillthey're better."
For nearly two weeks the boys watched the progress of the disease withaching hearts. Sometimes the symptoms seemed less acute and they felthopeful; then again the condition of their patients was such as tofrighten them. They spent all their spare time with the puppies, inspite of their mother's anxiety lest they catch the diseasethemselves. Their father, however, was quite positive that humanbeings could not take distemper from dogs.
A deep cloud of anxiety hung over the Whipple home during those days,even Mrs. Whipple feeling the effects of it. There was no running andromping about the house; no longer the rooms echoed with boyish shoutsand laughter. Each morning Ernest and Jack awoke with a feeling thatsomething awful was impending. It seemed sometimes as though the dogshad always been sick and that they would never get well. Sometimes thetension would become too great for Jack and he would cry as thoughhis heart would break.
"Oh, Ernest," he would sob, "what should I do if Remus died?"
And Ernest would have to struggle hard to keep from joining in thetears of his younger brother. The boys had come to love their dogs,and it seemed as though the puppies looked to them alone to save them.It is that way with dogs and people--that is, the people who care fordogs. And when once the wonderful tie has been formed between boy anddog it grows ever stronger. It becomes an ennobling thing.
Romulus developed a distressing cough, but after about ten days ofsuffering he began to show signs of improvement. He ate with greaterrelish and seemed brighter and stronger. Gradually the symptoms of thedisease lessened and as the days went by Ernest became more and morehappily convinced that he was really getting well. But with poor Remusit was different. The distemper seemed unwilling to relax its hold onhim and his digestive system became so disordered that he could notgain the much needed strength from his food. Jack spent all the timehe could beside the little sufferer, easing his head and bathing hiseyes and nose, and listening with helpless agony to the laboredbreathing.
Suddenly, one afternoon, Remus struggled to his feet and staggereduncertainly for a few steps. His half-closed eyes were glassy and didnot seem to see what he was looking at. He lurched into the wall in away that made Romulus take to a corner in fear. Then he ran a fewsteps aimlessly and toppled over, his muscles twitching dreadfully andhis feet scratching the floor.
Jack was terribly frightened and called to Ernest, who came runningin. Both boys thought that Remus was surely dying, but after a whilehe grew quieter and Jack lifted him tenderly back upon the bed.
"I guess it was a fit," said Ernest. "Sam told about that, you know."
"Oh, what shall we do?" wailed Jack in despair. "We _must_ dosomething, Ernest."
Ernest thought for a moment, and then an idea came to him.
"I'll telephone Mr. Hartshorn," said he. "He might know what to do,and I don't believe he'd mind. He wouldn't want a dog to die."
"Oh, please do," begged Jack.
Mr. Hartshorn was not home, but Mrs. Hartshorn, who answered thetelephone, was very sympathetic.
"I'm so sorry he's had convulsions," said she. "It's a bad sign. I'msorry Mr. Hartshorn is away. I know just how it is, though, for I'vesat up all night with dogs sick like that, more than once. I'll sendTom Poultice right over. He's a better dog doctor in his way than agood many vets., and he may be able to help you."
Ernest thanked the kind lady very heartily, and Tom Poultice came thatvery evening. Mr. Whipple lighted a lantern and they all went out toRome. Tom examined both dogs and pronounced Romulus to be on the mend.
"'E'll be all right," said Tom, "if 'e don't take cold or get upset.But this other one, 'e's in a bad way, I'm afraid."
Then he took Remus up, looked into his eyes and throat, and felt ofhis stomach and of the pulse under his forelegs.
"'E's got to be straightened out first," said he. "'Ave you any castoroil?"
Tom administered the castor oil in a thoroughly efficient manner andthen sent Ernest into the house to beg a little hot tea and a raw eggfrom Delia. The puppy took the tea quite eagerly and lapped some ofthe egg.
"Give 'im a little of this as often as 'e'll take it," said Tom, "andtelephone me to-morrow 'ow 'e seems. If 'e gets stronger, we'll give'im something else. If the castor oil don't work, we'll 'ave to give'im calomel or a compound cathartic pill, though I 'ate to do thatif I don't 'ave to. Calomel's terrible strong stuff for a sick puppy.'Ow long 'as 'e been sick?"
"About two weeks," said Jack.
"That's about the course of it," said Tom. "If 'e ain't better in aday or two now, 'e'll be gone. I wish I'd tackled 'im before. Well,give 'im these pills, one to-night and three to-morrow, during theday, and keep me posted."
"What are these pills composed of?" inquired Mr. Whipple, who wastaking a lively interest in proceedings.
"I 'ave 'em made up myself, sir," said Tom. "It's an old receipt Ilearned in Hengland. I ain't much on medicine myself, but sometimesthis 'elps, especially if it's used earlier. There's thirty drops ofacetate of ammonia in each pill, fifteen drops of sweet spirits ofnitre, and two grains of salicylate of soda. It's better to give 'emin a little camphor water."
The boys followed Tom's directions faithfully. In the morning theyfound Remus lying against the door of Rome, quite exhausted, and therewere signs that he had had another convulsion during the night. Butduring the day the castor oil got in its effect and there was no needfor the calomel. Remus seemed more able and willing to take his teaand egg, and though no gain in strength was to be noted that day, hehad no more convulsions.
Recovery was slow but sure for Remus from that time on, while Romulusmended rapidly, and it was not long before he was running about theyard again. Remus gained strength very slowly and for a long time wastroubled by a cough and upset digestion, but as the days went by andhe suffered no serious relapse Jack's buoyant nature responded and hewas glad with hope once more. Tom Poultice came again to offerencouragement and advice, and when Sam Bumpus visited Rome unannouncedone afternoon and was told what had happened, he proved himself to bemost generous in his praise of Tom's skill.
"I don't know this English feller," said he, "but when it comes todoctorin' sick pups, I've got to hand it to him. When you see himagain give him old Sam's best regards and tell him I'll vote for himnext election whether he's runnin' or not."
Sam was in a jovial mood and the boys were in the humor to laughheartily at anything he said. The tension was broken, the days ofanxiety were past, and sunshine again filled the house on WashburnStreet.
"It's just like a toothache when it's over, ain't it?" said Sam.
As for Jack, he hugged the emaciated little Remus close to hisbreast, and, with big tears of happiness in his eyes, kissed thetousled little head. Remus gave a little, human-sounding whimper andlicked Jack's hand. That was the only way he knew to expr
ess his loveand gratitude, but Jack understood.
The Dogs of Boytown Page 6
