To all of which the dogs at the Handle replied that they had reached the limit of canine endurance, and would stop the turning of the Handle unless the company of Brethren would raise their allowance of blood to the standard of the old liberal smearing of the little spoon, and abolish the requisition of two toes to the hopper. To which the fleas angrily made reply that the dogs at the Handle might all go to the bottom of the Everlastingist Profundo, for they would put other more docile and appreciative dogs at the Handle.
Whereupon the dogs struck, and the Handle came to rest, and the Blood Stream stopped. But the fleas sat patiently around the Tank and leisurely drank themselves full, and sent for the other hungry dogs that anxiously sat around; and the other dogs did come, and were set upon and worried and wounded by the original grinders. But the chuckers-in and the police dogs did help the new dogs and slew divers of the first Handle turners and finally routed them. Then did the first Handle turners go meekly crawling on their bellies to the company of the fleas, and humbly confess their sins and beg to be reinstated at the Handle. But the company deigned not to speak unto them, but sent out unto them Brother Pharaoh Phrique, who lifted up his nose high in the air, and said unto them: “Well; what will ye?” And the dogs cast down their eyes and hugged the dust with their bellies and answered: “That thy bondservants may find favor in thy sight and be reinstated at the Handle.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened like unto armor plate, and he said: “Not so, ye wicked dogs; faithless and perverse generation of dogs, despisers of our goodness and mercy; ye shall in no wise return to your positions at the Handle, save and unless ye shall be content to receive as wages no more Blood than can be carried upon the point of a needle, and shall first contribute five toes to the hopper, and execute a contract to fling into the Mill all the little bow-wows that shall henceforth be born unto you.”
And all the dogs, with sighs and wailing and grievous lamentations, did consent, and went and turned the Handle and groaned for a Savior.
CHAPTER VII.
The Great Idea.—Combination to Agree.—The White Label.—“Lengthen the Handle.”—Formation of the White Leg Association.—Gracious Reception of the Idea by the Monstrous Fleas.
IT came to pass one day when the Handle went more heavily than usual, that one dog was seen to jump up from his work with a yelp as though bitten by ten thousand fleas all at once. His eyes rolled in a fine frenzy; he rolled over and over on the ground and turned somersaults by the dozen. All the dogs at the Handle were temporarily paralyzed with consternation, and dropped work to inquire what was amiss. “What’s the matter?” said one of the crowd to him; but he only yelped the harder and turned more somersaults. “He’s gone crazy with hunger,” said they; “we must put him in the madhouse;” and they seized him by the ears and the tail for to take him there; which caused him suddenly to come back to sobriety.