“Let us then, pray for a great outpouring of holy zeal upon the police, that they may be inspired to dig up the good old Thunderbolts and polish them for use again. Is not this Bob dog a public nuisance? Is he not endeavoring to make all dogs godless, and by so doing endeavoring to overthrow the country, even as his friend the Tom dog tried to do in his day, and perhaps would have done had not God caused him to die an infidel’s death?
“His suppression, then, ought to be the public concern, and I call on our police, our rulers, and all fleas big and little that have the love of God and Country in their hearts to put him down, imprison him, and forever shut his mouth.”
At the conclusion of this magnificent burst of oratory all the assembled barkers burst into loud and prolonged approbation, and some one moved, and another seconded, and another supported, and the assembly unanimously carried a Resolution; that
“Whereas, Our good old Almighty and fearful God and his blessed eternal Hell are menaced by a certain blasphemous dog, of the name of Bob, with utter destruction and overthrow, and
“Whereas, The said destruction and overthrow of the said Almighty would lead straight and swift to utter godlessness amongst dogs, and to the setting up of Thought and Reason in
his place, and
“Whereas, In the setting up of said Thought and Reason, all dogs everywhere would be led to shake off all allegiance they owe to the divinely appointed fleas, and with them us and all our vested worldly interests,
“Resolved, That we call upon Pup McPoodle, his counsellors, the police, and all who have the safety of the country and the welfare of dogs at heart to arise at once in their might and rescue our terribly beleaguered and imperilled God, by smiting this Bob and all his following with a great smiting greatly, and if necessary killing them all, and hand over their souls to us for damnation, which we undertake to do with all solemnity, neatness and despatch.”
And this resolution was signed by all the Society for the Protection of the Almighty, and all the other many Anti-Evil Societies, and all the eminent and Monstrous Fleas, and was carried by Tee de Little Wit Blatherskite and other choice-souled barkers to the authorities. And the authorities said it was a very fine resolution, and did great credit to the holy zeal and patriotism of all concerned; and nothing would give them greater pleasure than to make the poor dogs more miserable if it were possible; but just now there seemed to be no feasible way of doing it, and they were afraid that their Almighty would have to wag along as best he could, for the present. Anyhow, they would see about it—they would see about it.
CHAPTER XXIII.
Dogs Coming to Their Senses.—A Very Slow Process.—Marvellously Leather-headed Economic Reasoning, which Shows That Working Dogs are Almost as Pig-headed as Laboring Humans, in Discerning Self-Evident Facts.
