CHAPTER 7

"And so," Nibble continued, "we were hardly surprised when a few days later on a beautiful September morning Dexter and his grandfather appeared at our enclosure and hustled us into Dexter's camper. Myself, I was in high spirits... for the first time in months I was able to rub up against Crystal"

"You're so soft and warm, I snuffled, look how silky your fur is compared to mine, Crystal looked embarrassed and pretended to find a flea. Great to be out of that filthy pen, eh? I sighed... hopefully we'll get to play around."

'I doubt it,' Wayne panted, 'We're going for a workout... there won't be no playin' around.'

Crystal's ears drooped. 'I just know I'm not going to make it.'

'Don't worry," Wayne yipped. 'Juss do what I do and you'll be okay.'

"After a short drive, the truck came to a stop. Dexter climbed in, tied us on separate leashes, spoke encouragingly and led us out into a meadow bordered by thick woods. Things happened pretty much as Wayne and Isabel had predicted. There was the old man, drunk but amiable, waving his bamboo fishing pole with a smelly piece of hide tied to it. Unfastening our leashes, Dexter exhorted us to follow the loathsome hunk of rotting flesh and right away the two insect pups, Buglets as we had come to call them, had their noses to the ground, obediently sniffing round and round in circles.

'Wouldn't you know those two would be the first to knuckle under?' Debbie complained as we stood watching them.

'If you'd been a bug,' Wayne observed, 'especially a dung beetle as they say they was, maybe you'd think you were so lucky comin' back a dog that you'd do anything... they're just being smart... Com'on all of you let's show 'em what we can do... we'll get points if we do it right and better food... try not to trip over your ears or stub your nose on a stone... juss follow the smell and try and remember it - it's Coon, in case you didn't know.'

'How could we forget it,' Crystal trembling.

'I'd like to forget it as soon as possible,' Debbie moaned... I think I'm going to be sick.'

"Danton and Drifter, the politician, sat down and refused to move."

'I will not participate in these idiocies,' Danton growled.

'It is beneath my dignity," Drifter whined.

"Followed reluctantly by Crystal and Debbie, Wayne and I bounded ahead after the bait. It felt good to stretch my legs. I let myself go and bounced manically through the tall grass. Soon I heard a series of painful sounding yips and Danton and Drifter loped up behind me."

'That fat old peasant kicked me,' Danton panting, 'Me, Danton, a hero of the Revolution whose likeness appears on statues all over France.'

'Well, you ain't in France no more, Danton,' Wayne growled, 'you're in America and they don't know who you are and even if you could tell them it wouldn't mean much... Americans don't hold much for history... don't think you're too good for 'em - just obey... anyways even if you tried I bet you couldn't run fast enough to get that piece of fur.'

"Stung by Wayne's taunt, Danton sprang into action and the former dog-faced revolutionary put on a terrific show, not only managing to catch the bait, but to run off with it, shaking and tearing it to shreds. This earned him another kick which sent him away howling."

Wayne trotted over and touched noses with him. 'Don't get carried away,' he advised..

'He kicked me again,' Danton whimpered, trembling with rage.

'That was just a complimentary kick,' observed Wayne. 'Don't take it too seriously... it means he likes you and is impressed... I heard him telling Dexter you had the makings of a first class hunter.'

"Three more times we were brought to the meadow where we were exhorted and cajoled into bounding after the foul smelling bait.

'I think you're really enjoying this, Irving,' Crystal remarked at the end of the third day.

"I replied that I wasn't minding it that much. The air was fresh, the grass felt good under my paws and what the hell... things could be worse. On the fourth day, a new bait appeared, smellier and bigger than the others, which Wayne immediately identified as bear."

'You mean, they're going to want me to hunt bears," asked a subdued Debbie, sniffing the air.

Wayne cocked his head to one side. 'Coons and Bears go together... if you don't meet up with one, you'll probably find the other... I doubt they'll try 'n teach us more though... maybe Fox.'

"Our kindergarten frolic continued for some days during which, as Wayne predicted, a fox tail was soon introduced and we learned to distinguish between the three different scents. So distinct from each other and so weirdly compelling were they that we soon developed a different bark for each one."

'Now they're going to drag them through the woods on different trails,' Wayne explained as we gathered together in a new location, 'they'll pick out one of them, lay down a trail with it and we'll be expected to follow, that's important, If anyone gets lost, just howl and we'll try to find you.... Okay?'

"We all stood there together sniffing the air."

'These is gonna be first class hounds, son," the old man crooned, " Shows ya how blood tells...that goes for humans too.'

'Most people I know falls way behind hounds,' Dexter observed, 'Jes look at them pups I never seen such a bunch of smart pups. You'd think they'd gone to college or somethin' '

'See, just what I said,' Wayne whispered as we listened attentively to this flattery. 'If you do what they say they'll fall in love with you. Once they do that you've got it made. Us bein' obedient makes 'em think they're smart trainers. I know them two fellas like I know the palm of my hand.

'Paws,' Debbie corrected him

"And so we learned to track one scent at a time and not get distracted by other odors. At the same time the trails got longer and longer. One trail would be laid down to cross another and finally we would spend the better part of each day completing an ever more difficult course. The Scoggins were well pleased, but as we had to complete each lesson before being fed, we were not happy... became demoralized and dog-tired.

'So much fuss when they don't even need to hunt,' Crystal grumbled

"Men have been hunting for millenniums," I replied bleakly, "you can't expect them to break a habit like that very easily."

Crystal touched noses with me, 'Irving, I want to make a break for it, really.' she grokked.

I replied that I thought we should wait, "let's face it. Neither of us has lived rough out in the woods... as a human or as a dog. I don't think we could make it yet and where would we go? You're not having a good time?"

'You can't be serious.' Crystal whined

"If I got serious I'd kill myself... run under a car or something... but here we are, what else can we do but try to make the best of it? What's bothering you?"

'Us getting separated... you getting sold to someone and me being left here as a breeder.'

I hadn't thought of that. "But don't we have a few months before we have to think in those terms, in a few months anything could happen."

'You have a few months,' Crystal replied, 'but I do not... a few more weeks and I'll come into heat for the first time... imagine what that's going to be like!"

"I allowed as how it probably wouldn't be very pleasant for her."

'Wayne, Danton, Drifter and that awful Snorts, even you, will all be yelping and clawing at my cage. I want us to get out of here before then !'

'Old Scoggins got a special cage,' Wayne who'd been picking up on on our conversation, 'you'll be safe in that. If you run away chances are you'll be gang fucked somewhere.'

'I don't believe you,' Crystal sniffed, 'If I stay here he's going to try to breed me to that Snorts or that other one, the old one they call Nixon.'

' Maybe he won't breed you so soon. They don't usually breed huntin' bitches for two or three years."

" Why don't we just play it by ear," I suggested, "I don't see any sense in worrying 'till something happens. Then we'll act."

'I've seen too many disgusting scenes,' Crystal sniffed, 'Dogs stuck together like grinning idiots... other dogs watching. Im your responsibility, Irving Allen, You got me into this!'

"Me," I barked indignantly, "If you remember correctly it was I who wanted to leave the Yale Club and you who wanted that bottle of wine. That foul smelling waiter would never have...?"

'He would have found a way to do it, it was inevitable...'

"I'm a Scientist, I don't believe in inevitability."

'You're a dog now!' Crystal growled softly, 'if you're so smart, then you have to find a way to get us out of here.'

"Later that day when we were alone I made it a point to question Wayne about female dogs and dog mating in general... subjects I knew little or nothing about."

'It oughta be great, man,' Wayne wagging his tail purposefully, 'I'm lookin' forward to havin' one helluva time... you can't get out... but let's you and me make a gentleman's agreement that we won't fight each other over 'em. Okay? We're gonna go berserk and lose our fuckin' minds, man, so we'd better agree in advance.'

"But how does one know the right moment?" I asked. "Right now all they seem to want to do is snap at me if I so much as sniff around a little."

'Oh, you'll know all right,' Wayne, rolling his big brown eyes, 'it's the smell... goes right to your balls and you'll forget everything but pussy."

"That won't be new."

'You'll start howlin', yowlin' and buglin' around like you was dyin'... them bitches, they start bleedin' and that's what 'll excite us - blood ! Chances are old Scoggins will lock 'em up, though, and that's gonna drive us crazy... the bleedin' goes on for about ten days and then it stops... up till then the bitch will bite yr nose off if you come near her, but when she stops bleedin' watch out... that's the time to get her. She'll stand there grinnin' and waggin' her tail and givin' out... come one come all... nature's callin'. And we'll be answerin' that call! I had young studs raised up in kennels never ever seen a bitch but when the time came, man, they knew exactly what to do... looks real mechanical, wouldn't think they was havin' a good time, but I seen 'em act real tender and protective to the bitch afterward... even known couples who wouldn't fuck around with other males.'

"Later that night after the others were asleep Crystal flopped down and pushed her nose against the chicken wire partition. 'I wonder if anyone, I mean any human being, realizes how much dogs worry... I certainly didn't when I was human.'

"Some do," I replied licking aimlessly at the pads of my paws, "What's bothering you now?"

'The same thing. Us getting separated.'

"That's not what worries me," I replied, "What worries me is losing my mind, my memory, memories of being human, the memory of that waiter's smell... if I lose that I'll never be able to get the bastard...but I can feel my human memories slipping away."

Crystal sighed, 'you actually think you're going to meet our killer?... that's certainly a long shot.'

"I'm used to long shots - nothing would surprise me."

'I don't think I'm losing my memory, but I feel like I'm getting younger all the time,' Crystal sniffed.

"You do, really... that's interesting"

'I suppose it has something to do with our helplessness, doesn't it? After all we have paws now, can't pick up anything really and we've got no clothes and aren't even toilet trained. it's like being a self conscious baby... one part of me hates it... the other is beginning to like it."

"Nature is often kind," I assured her, " You can be sure we will be gently eased from one hell to another."

Gazing at me with her wonderful eyes, Crystal sighed and pressed her soft damp nose against mine.'Promise me you'll try to get us out of here?'

"Promise..." I breathed, "but don't push me... if we make a wrong move it could mean trouble - we could be separated forever."

The following week, packed in the back of Dexter's pickup, we were driven some distance, deep into the forest. When we were finally let out, it was late afternoon. Dexter had put up a tent. The old man was making a fire. After we'd been fed we were staked out near the trucks while the older dogs, including our mother and Nixon, were allowed to sit by the fire.

Several men whom we did not know had arrived and sat around cleaning their guns and drinking. Beer cans popped, the whiskey bottle went around and around and the tantalizing aroma of steak drifted towards us.

'Ma foi,' doesn't that smell good,' Danton, licking his chops.

'Guess that's part of my punishment,' Wayne grunted, saliva dripping from the folds of his jowls. 'myself, I was always a big steak man, had the best Black Angus in Kern County.'

'You can bet we won't get any,' Danton, biting his foreleg furiously. 'Can anyone tell me why they've brought us here?'

'My guess is they're gonna test us for real,' Wayne replied. 'I'm not sure if it's hunting season yet but that don't matter to them, they wanna see what we've learned - probably use them collars on us too.'

"You mean the ones you told us about?" I asked.

'Yeah, the ones that shock you.'

'Barbaric,' Crystal groaned.

'Aren't they illegal?' Debbie asked.

'I don't think you'd like it the old way,' Wayne said. 'When I was a kid we just ran after the dogs and clubbed 'em when they made mistakes, especially if they went after deer.' His eyes narrowed, 'whatever y' do, don't go after deer! You haven't smelled 'em yet but you will and you'll want to go for 'em... Don't! There's a big fine for runnin' deer and if they catch you at it, they'll press that button and wipe your brains out.'

'Press what button?' Danton growled.

'You wouldn't understand,' Wayne replied. 'Somethin' called 'lectro magnetism... radio waves. That old man there, he'll have a little box in his hand and if he hears you goin' after the wrong thing, he'll just press a button on that box and send waves that'll turn on the juice.'

'Waves. Juice, I do not understand. Is it so, Monsieur Irving?'

"I averred that it was so."

'Juss stick to those scents we've learned... don't go after any others. If you don't pick up on one come on back and sit at their feet. Humans respect that. And don't think you can run away either. This country's crawlin' with hound owners, they'll pick up that collar on their CBs, track you clean into the next county and send you back... then you'll get it all right."

"CBs?" Danton was puzzled.

Wayne rolled his eyes. 'Never mind, Danton, juss play it straight with 'em like I say and you'll be okay... be careful, though, they got guns... always remember that... if they get mad and they're drunk, they'd just as like shoot you as look at you.'

"I certainly didn't want to be shot, at least not just yet. Something was telling me we hadn't had time to prove ourselves as dogs."

'I got the same feelin'...' Wayne grokked.

'He's right,' chimed in the two Buglets whose memories had made a miraculous comeback. 'We were dogs before, very disobedient ones... never surrendered to our condition... to being dogs and cowardly too... we were finally put to sleep, that's what they call it when they execute you... woke up as lizards. As lizards we were eaten by our own father and woke up as birds... as birds we froze to death in a blizzard and woke up as insects, dung beetles, can you imagine...'

'What a lot of changes you've been through,' interrupted Crystal. 'No wonder you're so nervous... you make me nervous, just listening to you.'

'It's been exhausting,' replied the Buglets, 'and we've spent a long time getting back to dogs... you have to persevere courageously in whatever body you're in - otherwise you'll go down.'

'When you've been dealt a bad hand," said Crystal, "sometimes forbearance is more important than courage.'

Danton's upper lip twitched nervously, 'You sound like that crazy Madame Roland," he grumbled.'

"As the afternoon faded the men, now boisterous with booze, began recounting tall tales of dangerous hunting exploits and the heroic dogs they'd known.

'Remember the time Nixon got that mountain lion?' Dexter was saying. 'How my bitch Mountain Joy nearly got killed?

'How you nearly got killed,' his grandfather roared, 'That were some cat, let me tell ye... never seen 'un that big before or since. Our dogs they bolted and this boy,' patting Dexter on the back, 'this 'un he run right in the middle of the fight. He'd raised up Mountain Joy from a pup an' he aimed to save her... got his back ripped open for it, too... I had to shoot into the whole mess... lucky for him I hit the cat... show e'm the scars, boy.'

"Peeling off his thermal underwear, Dexter turned his back to the fire. The men nodded and exchanged serious glances."

"The moon sailed high in the sky and old grandpa Scoggins said, 'Well, boys... what ya say we see what these pups can do?' Then they all got up and stretched and took up their guns. As Wayne had predicted, Dexter's grandfather appeared with a large cardboard box from which he withdrew, one after another, what I supposed were the electronic collars. Although I was at least a hundred yards away, I could smell the alcohol on his breath and shot a doubtful look at Crystal who, retreating as far as her chain would allow into the shadows, stood with her tail between her legs.

" 'Don't be scairt now, young girl,' Dexter said, grabbing the scruff of her neck, 'this ain't gonna hurt,' and handed her to the old man who took off her regular collar and, replacing it with one from the box, fastened it tightly... so tightly she could barely swallow. Each of us were collared in turn and led to the bumper of Dexter's pickup where we were again temporarily tied."

"When he was finished, the old man looked at us approvingly. 'Soon be able to put an ad in the paper, son... Y'r gonna get a real good price for this bunch... 'cept fer that 'un.' He pointed to Danton. 'That 'un won't take trainin'... real smart he is..., one of the smartest coon hounds I ever seen but he's a rebel... once in awhile you run across a dog like that... stubborn... no matter what you teach him he thinks he knows better.' "

"Wonder if he understands what that old man is saying? I asked Wayne and nodded toward Danton."

Wayne blinked one eye. 'If he don't, he'll sure find out... look... I think we're almost ready.'

"Unfastening our chains, Dexter admonished us to stand still 'til he'd given the word. It was the first time in weeks we'd seen our mother, Bluebell and against my will I suddenly gave way to instinct, bolted, rushed to her side and tried to nurse."

'Pretty stupid,' observed Wayne who got there before me. Bluebell nipped our ears and growled. 'Follow her and stick close, she knows what to do.'

"Yipping with anticipation, we moved out a long a trail, sniffing the air and steadily increasing the distance between ourselves and the men. Despite Wayne's warnings, I thought of escape and looked about for Crystal whom I could smell but not see. Couldn't we easily chew these collars off, I wondered, intoxicated by the moonlight. I wanted nothing more than to run forever with Crystal by my side but suddenly Nixon bugled and we caught the smell of bear. Bluebell streaked ahead and we followed."

'Bark,' Wayne commanded, 'it makes a good impression.'

"I lifted my head and bayed sonorously and caught up with Crystal. Exciting, isn't it? I panted.

'My God,' Crystal yelped, 'I could run forever - what a high.'

"What about going on right out of the county?' I barked wildly, "Couldn't we make a run for it."

"Just then, ahead of us, Danton veered off the trail, streaked down a steep path into a gully and up across a moonlit meadow. Stopping in our tracks, we picked up a deliciously exotic odor. Backtracking, Bluebell flashed by me, hitting me hard on the shoulder and biting Crystal's foreleg. Wayne and Debbie loped up and stopped short, sniffing the ground."

'That's it,' whined Wayne, 'Deer! Watch out... he'll press the button if you run 'em."

"Across the canyon silhouetted in the moonlight, Danton began to howl. Freezing in our tracks, we watched with horror as he darted at the feet of an angry stag. Suddenly a horrible scream pierced the air. Danton fell to the ground and old man Scoggins appeared with his little black box."

'I told you it was deer,' Wayne yipped. 'Goddam,.. how I used go for them venison steaks.'

Far ahead, Nixon bellowed for assistance.

'He's got him cornered,' Dexter yelled excitedly. 'Come on.'

"Shouldn't one of us see about Danton?" I asked.

"You're crazy... you wanna get us blasted too? Maybe he'll forget about being Danton."

"Bluebell ran ahead and we followed, men and dogs together running through the moonlit forest. Soon we arrived at a clearing where Nixon had managed to back the bear up against a low cliff. Standing on his hind legs, he roared furiously and pawed the air. Wayne darted out on the flank and we scrambled up the cliff behind the bear until we were directly above him. Below, the others were barking furiously.

'Growl and howl,' Wayne directed, 'like you was gonna jump on that bear... they'll be real impressed.'

"Are we really going to jump on him?" I barked.

'Not on your life... not 'til they shoot him. When they shoot, we'll jump... it'll happen so fast, they'll think we brought him down.'

"Soon the men came running to the edge of the clearing and we could see the bear getting ready to charge them.... then Dexter raised his rifle and shot and barking furiously,Wayne and I jumped off the cliff and landing on the back of the falling beast we sank our teeth into his thick hide."

'Right through the head,' yelled Dexter, running up to examine the bear.

'You see that,' the old man yelled, 'You see them two dogs bring down that bear?"

'...after I shot him,' Dexter yelled back.

'It was before,' The old man bugled irascibly... "I seen it... didn't I?"

'They hadn't jumped when I shot so it had to be after that,' Dexter muttered.

"As we stood wondering what to do next, we were alerted by a noise in the underbrush. Expecting to see another bear, we all turned but instead It was Danton who came staggering toward us."

'That's the one that broke for the stag, didn't I say he would? Come here, boy, come here, Bucko,' old man holding out his hand.

Danton growled.

'Watch out Danton... cool it,' Wayne warned.

'You stupid, liver hearted rabbits,' Danton snarled.

'Come here, Bucko," Dexter commanded.

"Danton cowered and held his ground. His legs trembled and the fur on his neck stood straight up."

'Better chain him,' Dexter said.

The old man stepped forward with a chain. Danton struck out at him and bit his hand. Wayne touched noses with me. 'Now watch... watch and learn.' "

"We shrank back in terror as the old man picked up a club and started after Danton... our mother,Bluebell, bolted toward her pup but Dexter grabbed her... cornering Danton, the old man began to beat him mercilessly.

'Chrissake, you're gonna kill that dog,' Dexter screamed. 'Leave off, will ya, you're scarin' the others.'

'Teach 'em a good lesson,' the old man grunted.

"Bark," I whined at Crystal and Debbie, "If we bark loud enough maybe he'll stop."

'He won't,' growled Nixon, ( "the first time that eminence had ever spoken to us.") 'Old man is crazy - that pup'll be lucky to see sunrise.'

"Danton had managed to crawl into a thick patch of briars. The old man throttled the thorny branches trying to drive him out. 'You hounds shut up,' he cursed, fingering the box in his left hand, 'Shut up or I'll let ye have it.' "

"Darting towards his grandfather, Dexter grabbed the control box but not before Crystal, Debbie and Wayne had been sent reeling. With a piercing howl, his jaws snapping, Danton suddenly leapt from cover, knocked the old man over and went for his throat. A shot rang out. Danton's sleek, dark body doubled up, spun round and became still We bowed our heads and pointed our noses toward Danton."

'You all right?' Dexter yelled.

'Guess so...' the old man replied, getting up and brushing himself off.

'Your temper just cost me eight hundred bucks,' Dexter said crossly.

"The old man's face screwed up. 'Twarn't my temper, t'was that no good dog... from the beginin' I seed he was bad...that dog woulda never learnt. If you'd got a hundred for him you'da been lucky.' "

"The moon was just setting and dawn's pink glow lit up the Eastern sky. Bluebell, ears drooping, pressed her nose against Danton's body and whimpered softly. Dazed and depressed, we stood watching as the old man, helped by the other men, trussed up the bear. Dexter gathered up Danton and we started back along the trail."

"Wobbling slightly from the shock she'd received, Crystal breathed in my ear. 'What a terrible sadist... what a disgusting performance. I hate him."

"Guess it shows how helpless we are, was my bleak reply."

'Makes you wonder, doesn't it?' grokked Wayne.

"I found myself pondering Danton's fate and where he would go now."

'Once you know you can't really kill anything, seems pretty silly to try, doesn't it?' Debbie growling at Wayne.

'Never thought of it that way,' Wayne replied.

'Maybe it's time you did,' Debbie looked away.

© Elwyn Chamberlain 2009