I tried not to be revengeful as I listened to them. The two fellows who had stolen me were more decent than the two others. They were clamouring for their money, but they were assured none would be forthcoming till I was sold. They detailed with disgusting glee how they had hung about Pleasant River all day, pretending to be telephone men.
“He’s cute,” they said in describing me. “He gives strangers a wide berth. We most got him twice, but he veered off and ran down the road, not minding us in particular, but just ’cause he’s cute.”
I groaned inwardly. I remembered these two fellows who had even had the audacity to come up near the house and examine our poles.
Finally they went away, and my two jockeys went to a rough table in the corner of the shed, took up a black bottle and shook it.
I had no fear of their injuring me. I was too valuable for that. In a minute, it flashed upon me what they were going to do. I was to be dyed.
I smiled sardonically. My dear master would raise heaven and earth to find me. A little dye would not turn him off the track. I hoped they would be careful about my eyes, and they were, for one man rebuked the other sharply, for letting the brush come too near an eyelid. Nothing was to be done to me that would take anything off my market value.
I felt like a fool though, as they set me on the rough table and went all over my hair with a brush. How the other dogs would laugh if they saw me. A white wire-haired fox-terrier has some style—an all black one, none whatever.
However, I just made up my mind to submit. There was absolutely no use in worrying, and for to-night, I need not fatigue my brain by thoughts of escape. When I had been stolen before, I had learned to take my capture easily, till my captors were off their guard which they never were at first. I must wait some days.
One thing I had done before when trapped, was to pretend to like my captors. That rôle would not take here. These two fellows had no more comprehension of the dog world than if they had been wooden men. They loved no one, feared no one; they seemed to hate everybody, even each other. It was of no use to try to cajole them, so I just pretended to submit, without looking too happy or appearing to be ill, for then they would have dosed me.
So I let them dye me and tie me, or rather chain me to a stout iron bar run down into the earth. They pried off my collar, made a hole in the ground, and buried it, and put a new, very strong metal one on me. They acted as if they knew I was a dog with brains, but I fancy their motive was simply one inspired by native cunning and skill in stealing. They must take every precaution to ensure the success of their scheme.