“That’s Zip,” said his pleased owner; “he will be here in a few minutes.”
Mike Murphy, who had been one of the most absorbed of listeners and was seated near the guest, rose to his feet and emitted a cry which, so far as the listeners could tell, was an absolutely perfect imitation of that of the dog.
“That’s wonderful!” exclaimed Burton; 213“it would deceive any one except the dog himself.”
“And why not him?” asked Alvin Landon.
“Because he does not answer—there he comes!”
In the dim moonlight, as every eye was turned in the direction of the beach leading toward Uncle Elk’s cabin, the Scouts7 saw a black, medium sized dog approaching at full speed, his sturdy figure rapidly assuming definite form. It was to be noted8 that Burton had come through the wood itself, whereas the animal was traversing the beach, where the way was more open, yet he was keeping to the trail as unerringly as an arrow driven from the bow.
“Hide yourself,” whispered Mr. Hall.
“There is no place where I can hide from him.”
The next instant the hound with undiminished speed bounded up the steps at the end of the porch, dashed between the boys, and impinged with such force against his standing9 master that he was knocked backward for a pace or two. Bending over, Burton patted the big head, and Zip in his excess of delight bounded round the youth and wagged his tail so hard that it swayed his haunches correspondingly, and it really seemed an instance of the tail wagging the dog.
“Don’t you think Zip will appreciate something in the form of a meal?” asked Mr. Hall.
“He certainly will; a dog is always hungry, and more than half a day has passed since he ate; nothing suits him better than raw meat.”
“We have a supply, and he shall feast to his heart’s content.”
So he did, the food being brought out and placed in front of the canine10 guest, who would have eaten a good deal more had his master permitted. Meekly11 accepting the decision, Zip lay down at young Burton’s feet, contented12 and happy throughout the remainder of the evening, and glad to stay outside until the youth rejoined him in the morning.
“You know what matchless policemen the Belgian dogs make in that country, in France, and in New York and other cities. Some three years ago Long Island became 215so pestered13 by thieves that Robert E. Kerkham, superintendent14 of the railway police, saw that something drastic had to be done. The thieves dynamited15 station safes, burglarized private dwellings16 and more than once killed and injured railway policemen while they were trying to arrest the criminals. Those men used fleet horses and automobiles17, and despite everything that could be done, grew bolder and more successful.
“Superintendent Kerkham, finding that his patrolmen were powerless, decided18 to call in the help of dogs, with whose striking success abroad and at home he was familiar, but he made a new departure by taking bloodhounds instead of the usual police dogs, for the former would not only guard property but would track the thieves. He bought a pair from the stock imported from England more than twenty years ago. These are of the purest blood, and superior to all others. Zip is from the same stock. A peculiarity19 of this dog is that in no circumstances will he take up a doubtful trail, but will pick up the true scent21, no matter how faint, and never abandon it so long as it actually exists. They know not the 216meaning of fear, and will stick to their work so long as they can move or breathe. Some of those dogs have pedigrees that reach backward to the time of William the Conqueror22.
“The couple which Mr. Kerkham purchased are named Bob and Nellie. They had to be trained, but they learned fast. They will take the scent from any article that has been lately handled by the person they are after.”
“How old a trail will serve them?” asked the Scout Master.
“Of course the freshest scent is the best. Zip was all of seven hours behind me to-day. I have tested him on double that time and he seemed to have little or no difficulty. They have taken a trail twenty-four hours old, and precisely23 what it is that guides them in such a case is more than any one can understand. A man is known to have left a house at a certain time, and twenty hours later it is decided to pursue him with the aid of a bloodhound. A glove, or hat, or shoe that he is known to have worn is held in front of the dog; he sniffs24 at it, dashes out of doors, circles back and forth25 and around the grounds until he strikes the corresponding scent; up goes his head, his tail wags and he bays his pleasure. A hundred yards farther, and he drops his nose to the ground to make sure he has not lost his clue.
“Perhaps the scent grows faint or disappears. In that case he runs back and circles about until he picks it up again, when he is off once more. You must remember that while all this is going on there is a man tugging26 at the leash27, for this is necessary to protect the thief. As the trail grows fresher, the fierce eagerness of the hound increases; he knows he is close upon his quarry28 and sharp words and powerful pulling are necessary to prevent him from bounding straight at the throat of the cowering29 wretch30. Should he start to run it is almost impossible to restrain the dog, but when he sees the criminal is under arrest, he is satisfied, becomes quiet, and is ready to tackle the next job.”
“Will you tell us of some of the exploits of Bob and Nellie, who you say are perfect specimens31 of their kind?”
“I cannot recall a quarter of them. One 218thing that Bob did was astonishing because it was at the beginning of his training and the scent was fourteen hours old. He caught it from a bag which the thieves had used to wrap about their hands in breaking a window. As true as the needle to the pole, Bob led his master through alleys32 and side streets, across vacant lots, along the purlieus of a straggling village to a house near the highway. This was circled once, and then he dashed to a barn at the rear, through the open door, and sprang at a young man who was engaged in skinning a muskrat33 he had trapped.
“The fellow was indignant and denied all knowledge of the crime, declaring that he did not know where the freight house was located, but Bob’s trainer was certain the dog was right, and searched the place. All the missing property was found in a trunk, and the thief is now in Sing Sing, convicted on the testimony34 of the dog.
“Last summer a farmer in Kansas was murdered and a pack of hounds were put on the trail. They led the trainers and officers through a broken country for six miles, never hesitating or turning aside for a minute, until they reached a house where a man lived who had never been suspected. He was arrested, corroborative35 evidence obtained, and he was convicted by the Supreme36 Court of the state and executed.
“One night the safe of the Hicksville station on the Long Island Railroad was blown open and the contents stolen. Three of the dogs were brought up the next day a little before noon and put on the trail, about twelve hours after the robbery had been committed.”
“It seems to me,” remarked Scout Master Hall, “that in all such cases the hounds are very liable to blunder.”
“Why?”
“There must be a good many tracks about the premises37; how can they differentiate38 those of the thieves?”
“They took the scent without the least difficulty from the window through which the robbers had entered and from the articles they had handled. Tugging at their leashes39, the hounds led their masters up the railway track for an eighth of a mile, and then turned off across the open country to the trolley40 track, which they followed to 220the next stop, where the trail ended. Inquiries41 brought out the fact that the car had stopped there about midnight,—something which it rarely did. Having boarded it, the thieves made their escape, and that became one of the few instances in which the skill of the bloodhounds came to naught42.
“But the dogs were not allowed to rust43 for want of work. Long Island gave them plenty to do, and continues to do so. When word came to headquarters that the station at Warwick Street on the Atlantic Division of the railway had been broken into and robbed, the dogs were put on the job with the least possible delay. They found the trail without trouble, and skurried down Atlantic Avenue to Logan Street, where the canines44 halted for consultation45, since they had to face new conditions.
“These wonderful brutes46 had been instant to detect that two thieves were concerned in the crime. At the point named, the trail divided, and of course the pursuers did the same. Our old friend Bob trotted47 along until he reached No. 129, where he sat down, threw up his head and began howling. Jim, 221the other dog, kept on to No. 219, where he joined in the dismal48 chorus. The two were on the same side of the street, not very far apart, and must have made a striking picture, as from their different stations they serenaded some persons within. I can’t help wondering,” added young Burton with a laugh, “whether the thieves noticed that howling, and peeping out of the windows suspected what it meant.
“The trainers thought it possible a mistake had been made, and the dogs were taken back to the station and given the scent again. They followed it as unerringly as before, but oddly enough when they came to the forking of the trail, Bob and Jim changed places. It was as if one had proposed the shift to the other, who accepted it offhand49.
“Doubting no longer, the officers arrested a schoolboy in each house, whom the dogs identified. They confessed their guilt50, and one was sent to the Juvenile51 Asylum52 at Dobbs Ferry and the other to the Elmira Reformatory.
“Now,” said Burton, whose enthusiasm was natural, “can any one understand what it is that guides the bloodhound? Of course it is some sort of emanation, but how subtle it must be, and how fine the sense that can identify it among scores of others! In the incident I have just related, the trail led through busy streets, where hundreds of men, women and animals had trodden upon the invisible footprints, each with his or her peculiar20 odor, which lingered for hours, and was as distinct to the dogs as the call of a megaphone is to us. It is beyond my comprehension.”
“It is beyond the comprehension of any one,” added Mr. Hall. “Bertillon has proved that the thumb prints of no two persons are the same, and so the scent of every one has a peculiarity of its own, but that doesn’t lessen53 our wonder.
“There is no end to the proofs that have been given of their miraculous54 power.”
“The dogs, I suppose, seem to enjoy tracking a criminal?”
“It is their delight. Although not credited with a high order of intelligence, they know as well as their trainers what is expected of them, and enter into it with as much gusto as you boys do your vacation.”
“Is a criminal when overtaken by the dogs in danger of being hurt by them?”
“It depends upon himself. If he continues to run and puts up a fight they will attack him. If he quietly submits, they will mount guard and hold him unharmed until their master comes up and takes the criminal into custody55. Then the dogs, seeing that that particular task is finished, show by their behavior that they are as eager as ever for their next job. But, for safety’s sake, they are generally held in leash, master and dog keeping company.”
“How is it with Zip?”
“He always runs free, and will not harm a fugitive unless ordered to do so. You understand that he and I are chums, and I have never used him to chase a criminal. He roams through the country, and I keep him on edge by such tests as to-day. He is so familiar with my scent that he will pick it up instantly, without first sniffing56 articles I have worn. The other day I played a mean trick on him. I left him at the Samoset House on Mouse Island and started for Boothbay Harbor on the steamer Wiwurna, but instead of getting off at the wharf57, I slipped over the gunwale at the rear, and Captain Free McKown took me on board his motor boat Edith which was lying near, and started back to Mouse Island with me. Just before reaching the dock I met the Norman II starting for Boothbay and seated on his haunches at the prow58 was Zip. I was not expecting to see him and I should have got out of sight, but he discovered me and emitted the most dissatisfied howl I ever heard. It said as plain as so many words, ‘You played me a low down trick, and I don’t like it.’ He would have sprung overboard and tried to swim to me, had I not forbidden him. Perforce he went on to Boothbay and came back on the Norman II. I was in my room when he scratched on my door and I admitted him. He was so mad that he refused to eat the meat prepared for him, and pouted59 the rest of the day. I apologized and coaxed60, and by night had won back his favor and the cloud between us passed away.”
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1
hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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3
growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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4
fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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5
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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7
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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8
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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canine
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| adj.犬的，犬科的 | |
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meekly
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| adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地 | |
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contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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13
pestered
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| 使烦恼，纠缠( pester的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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15
dynamited
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| v.（尤指用于采矿的）甘油炸药( dynamite的过去式和过去分词 )；会引起轰动的人[事物] | |
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16
dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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17
automobiles
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| n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 ) | |
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18
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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19
peculiarity
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| n.独特性，特色；特殊的东西；怪癖 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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conqueror
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| n.征服者，胜利者 | |
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23
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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24
sniffs
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的第三人称单数 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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26
tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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27
leash
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| n.牵狗的皮带，束缚；v.用皮带系住 | |
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28
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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29
cowering
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的现在分词 ) | |
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30
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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31
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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32
alleys
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| 胡同，小巷( alley的名词复数 )； 小径 | |
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muskrat
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| n.麝香鼠 | |
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34
testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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35
corroborative
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| adj.确证（性）的，确凿的 | |
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36
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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38
differentiate
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| vi.(between)区分；vt.区别；使不同 | |
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39
leashes
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| n.拴猎狗的皮带( leash的名词复数 ) | |
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40
trolley
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| n.手推车，台车；无轨电车；有轨电车 | |
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41
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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42
naught
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| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
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43
rust
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| n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退 | |
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44
canines
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| n.犬齿( canine的名词复数 )；犬牙；犬科动物 | |
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45
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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46
brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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47
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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48
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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49
offhand
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| adj.临时，无准备的；随便，马虎的 | |
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50
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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51
juvenile
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| n.青少年，少年读物；adj.青少年的，幼稚的 | |
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52
asylum
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| n.避难所，庇护所，避难 | |
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53
lessen
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| vt.减少，减轻；缩小 | |
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54
miraculous
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| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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55
custody
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| n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留 | |
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56
sniffing
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| n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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57
wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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58
prow
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| n.(飞机)机头，船头 | |
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59
pouted
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| v.撅（嘴）( pout的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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60
coaxed
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱 | |
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