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button。
There was a subdued whir。 A move of Halding's foot and a release
of the brake； and the car started forward。
〃Stand clear！〃 he ordered。 〃I'm going。〃
The jolt of the sudden start was too much for the Mistress's
balance on the running…board。 Back she toppled。 Only by luck did
she land on her feet instead of her head； upon the greasy
pavement of the street。
But she sprang forward again； with a little cry of indignant
dismay； and reached desperately into the moving car for Bruce；
calling him eagerly by name。
Dr。 Halding was steering with his left hand； while his viselike
right arm still encircled the protesting collie。 As the Mistress
ran alongside and grasped frantically for her doomed pet； he let
go of Bruce for an instant； to fend off her handor perhaps to
thrust her away from the peril of the fast…moving mud…guards。 At
the Mistress's cryand at the brief letup of pressure caused by
the Doctor's menacing gesture toward the unhappy womanBruce's
long…sleeping soul awoke。 He answered the cry and the man's blow
at his deity in the immemorial fashion of all dogs whose human
gods are threatened。
There was a snarling wild…beast growl； the first that ever had
come from the clownlike puppy's throat；and Bruce flung his
unwieldy young body straight for the vivisector's throat。
Halding； with a vicious fist…lunge； sent the pup to the floor of
the car in a crumpled heap； but not before the curving white
eyeteeth had slashed the side of the man's throat in an ugly
flesh…wound that drove its way dangerously close to the jugular。
Half stunned by the blow； and with the breath knocked out of him；
Bruce none the less gathered himself together with lightning
speed and launched his bulk once more for Halding's throat。
This time he missed his markfor several things happened all at
once。
At the dog's first onslaught； Halding's foot had swung forward；
along with his fist； in an instinctive kick。 The kick did not
reach Bruce。 But it landed； full and effectively； on the
accelerator。
The powerful car responded to the touch with a bound。 And it did
so at the very moment that the flash of white teeth at his throat
made Halding snatch his own left hand instinctively from the
steering…wheel； in order to guard the threatened spot。
A second later the runabout crashed at full speed into the wall
of a house on the narrow street's opposite side。
The rest was chaos。
When a crowd of idlers and a policeman at last righted the
wrecked car； two bodies were found huddled inertly amid a junk…
heap of splintered glass and shivered wood and twisted metal。 The
local ambulance carried away one of these limp bodies。 The
Place's car rushed the smash…up's other senseless victim to the
office of the nearest veterinary。 Dr。 Halding； with a shattered
shoulder…blade and a fractured nose and jaw and a mild case of
brain…concussion；was received as a guest of honor at the
village hospital。
Bruce； his left foreleg broken and a nasty assortment of glass…
cuts marring the fluffiness of his fur； was skillfully patched up
by the vet' and carried back that night to The Place。
The puppy had suddenly taken on a new value in his owners' eyes
partly for his gallantly puny effort at defending the Mistress；
partly because of his pitiful condition。 And he was nursed； right
zealously； back to life and health。
In a few weeks； the plaster cast on the convalescent's broken
foreleg had been replaced by a bandage。 In another week or two
the vet' pronounced Bruce as well as ever。 The dog； through
habit； still held the mended foreleg off the ground； even after
the bandage was removed。 Whereat； the Master tied a bandage
tightly about the uninjured foreleg。
Bruce at once decided that this； and not the other； was the lame
leg； and he began forthwith to limp on it。 As it was manifestly
impossible to keep both forelegs off the ground at the same time
when he was walking； he was forced to make use of the once…broken
leg。 Finding； to his amaze； that he could walk on it with perfect
ease； he devoted his limping solely to the well leg。 And as soon
as the Master took the bandage from that； Bruce ceased to limp at
all。
Meanwhile； a lawyer； whose name sounded as though it had been
culled from a Rhine Wine list； had begun suit； in Dr。 Halding's
name； against the Mistress； as a 〃contributory cause〃 of his
client's accident。 The suit never came to trial。 It was dropped；
indeed； with much haste。 Not from any change of heart on the
plaintiff's behalf； but because； at that juncture； Dr。 Halding
chanced to be arrested and interned as a dangerous Enemy Alien。
Our country had recently declared war on Germany； and the belated
spy…hunt was up。
During the Federal officers' search of the doctor's house； for
treasonable documents （of which they found an ample supply）； they
came upon his laboratory。 No fewer than five dogs； in varying
stages of hideous torture； were found strapped to tables or
hanging to wall…hooks。 The vivisector bewailed； loudly and
gutturally； this cruel interruption to his researches in
Science's behalf。
One day； two months after the accident； Bruce stood on all four
feet once more； with no vestige left of scars or of lameness。 And
then； for the first time； a steady change that had been so slow
as to escape any one's notice dawned upon the Mistress and the
Master。 It struck them both at the same moment。 And they stared
dully at their pet。
The shapeless； bumptious； foolish Pest of two months ago had
vanished。 In his place； by a very normal process of nature…magic；
stood a magnificently stately thoroughbred collie。
The big head had tapered symmetrically； and had lost its puppy
formlessness。 It was now a head worthy of Landseer's own pencil。
The bonily awkward body had lengthened and had lost its myriad
knobs and angles。 It had grown massively graceful。
The former thatch of half…curly and indeterminately yellowish
fuzz had changed to a rough tawny coat； wavy and unbelievably
heavy； stippled at the ends with glossy black。 There was a
strange depth and repose and Soul in the dark eyesyes； and a
keen intelligence； too。
It was the old story of the Ugly Duckling； all over again。
〃Why！〃 gasped the Mistress。 〃He'she's BEAUTIFUL！ And I never
knew it。〃
At her loved voice the great dog moved across to where she sat。
Lightly he laid one little white paw on her knee and looked
gravely up into her eyes。
〃He's got sense； too；〃 chimed in the Master。 〃Look at those eyes；
if you doubt it。 They're alive with intelligence。 It'sit's a
miracle！ He can't be the same worthless whelp I wanted to get rid
of！ He CAN'T！〃
And he was not。 The long illness； at the most formative time of
the dog's growth； had done its work in developing what； all the
time； had lain latent。 The same illnessand the long…enforced
personal touch with humanshad done an equally transforming wo