A Dark Brown Dog

STEPHAN CRANE

A child was standing on a street-corner. He leaned with one shoulder against a high boardfence and swayed the other to and fro, the while ic ing carelessly at the gra!el. Sunshine beat u"on the cobbles, and a la#y su$$er wind raised yellow dust which trailed in clouds down the a!enue. Clattering truc s $o!ed with indistinctness through it. The child stood drea$ily ga#ing. After a ti$e, a little dar -brown dog ca$e trotting with an intent air down the sidewal . A short ro"e was dragging fro$ his nec . %ccasionally he trod u"on the end of it and stu$bled. He sto""ed o""osite the child, and the two regarded each other. The dog hesitated for a $o$ent, but "resently he $ade so$e little ad!ances with his tail. The child "ut out his hand and called hi$. &n an a"ologetic $anner the dog ca$e close, and the two had an interchange of friendly "attings and waggles. The dog beca$e $ore enthusiastic with each $o$ent of the inter!iew, until with his gleeful ca"erings he threatened to o!erturn the child. 'hereu"on the child lifted his hand and struc the dog a blow u"on the head. This thing see$ed to o!er"ower and astonish the little dar -brown dog, and wounded hi$ to the heart. He san down in des"air at the child(s feet. 'hen the blow was re"eated, together with an ad$onition in childish sentences, he turned o!er u"on his bac , and held his "aws in a "eculiar $anner. At the sa$e ti$e with his ears and his eyes he offered a s$all "rayer to the child. He loo ed so co$ical on his bac , and holding his "aws "eculiarly, that the child was greatly a$used and ga!e hi$ little ta"s re"eatedly, to ee" hi$ so. )ut the little dar -brown dog too this chastise$ent in the $ost serious way, and no doubt considered that he had co$$itted so$e gra!e cri$e, for he wriggled contritely and showed his re"entance in e!ery way that was in his "ower. He "leaded with the child and "etitioned hi$, and offered $ore "rayers. At last the child grew weary of this a$use$ent and turned toward ho$e. The dog was "raying at the ti$e. He lay on his bac and turned his eyes u"on the retreating for$. Presently he struggled to his feet and started after the child. The latter wandered in a "erfunctory way toward his ho$e, sto""ing at ti$es to in!estigate !arious $atters. *uring one of these "auses he disco!ered the little dar -brown dog who was following hi$ with the air of a foot"ad. The child beat his "ursuer with a s$all stic he had found. The dog lay down and "rayed until the child had finished, and resu$ed his +ourney. Then he scra$bled erect and too u" the "ursuit again. %n the way to his ho$e the child turned $any ti$es and beat the dog, "roclai$ing with childish gestures that he held hi$ in conte$"t as an uni$"ortant dog, with no !alue sa!e for a $o$ent. ,or being this -uality of ani$al the dog a"ologi#ed and elo-uently e."ressed regret,

but he continued stealthily to follow the child. His $anner grew so !ery guilty that he slun li e an assassin. 'hen the child reached his door-ste", the dog was industriously a$bling a few yards in the rear. He beca$e so agitated with sha$e when he again confronted the child that he forgot the dragging ro"e. He tri""ed u"on it and fell forward. The child sat down on the ste" and the two had another inter!iew. *uring it the dog greatly e.erted hi$self to "lease the child. He "erfor$ed a few ga$bols with such abandon that the child suddenly saw hi$ to be a !aluable thing. He $ade a swift, a!aricious charge and sei#ed the ro"e. He dragged his ca"ti!e into a hall and u" $any long stairways in a dar tene$ent. The dog $ade willing efforts, but he could not hobble !ery s ilfully u" the stairs because he was !ery s$all and soft, and at last the "ace of the engrossed child grew so energetic that the dog beca$e "anic-stric en. &n his $ind he was being dragged toward a gri$ un nown. His eyes grew wild with the terror of it. He began to wiggle his head frantically and to brace his legs. The child redoubled his e.ertions. They had a battle on the stairs. The child was !ictorious because he was co$"letely absorbed in his "ur"ose, and because the dog was !ery s$all. He dragged his ac-uire$ent to the door of his ho$e, and finally with triu$"h across the threshold. No one was in. The child sat down on the floor and $ade o!ertures to the dog. These the dog instantly acce"ted. He bea$ed with affection u"on his new friend. &n a short ti$e they were fir$ and abiding co$rades. 'hen the child(s fa$ily a""eared, they $ade a great row. The dog was e.a$ined and co$$ented u"on and called na$es. Scorn was le!eled at hi$ fro$ all eyes, so that he beca$e $uch e$barrassed and droo"ed li e a scorched "lant. )ut the child went sturdily to the center of the floor, and, at the to" of his !oice, cha$"ioned the dog. &t ha""ened that he was roaring "rotestations, with his ar$s clas"ed about the dog(s nec , when the father of the fa$ily ca$e in fro$ wor . The "arent de$anded to now what the bla#es they were $a ing the id howl for. &t was e."lained in $any words that the infernal id wanted to introduce a disre"utable dog into the fa$ily. A fa$ily council was held. %n this de"ended the dog(s fate, but he in no way heeded, being busily engaged in chewing the end of the child(s dress. The affair was -uic ly ended. The father of the fa$ily, it a""ears, was in a "articularly sa!age te$"er that e!ening, and when he "ercei!ed that it would a$a#e and anger e!erybody if such a dog were allowed to re$ain, he decided that it should be so. The child, crying softly, too his friend off to a retired "art of the roo$ to hobnob with hi$, while the father -uelled a fierce rebellion of his wife. So it ca$e to "ass that the dog was a $e$ber of the household. He and the child were associated together at all ti$es sa!e when the child sle"t. The child beca$e a guardian and a friend. &f the large fol ic ed the dog and threw things at hi$, the child $ade loud and !iolent ob+ections. %nce when the child had run, "rotesting loudly, with

tears raining down his face and his ar$s outstretched, to "rotect his friend, he had been struc in the head with a !ery large sauce"an fro$ the hand of his father, enraged at so$e see$ing lac of courtesy in the dog. E!er after, the fa$ily were careful how they threw things at the dog. /oreo!er, the latter grew !ery s ilful in a!oiding $issiles and feet. &n a s$all roo$ containing a sto!e, a table, a bureau and so$e chairs, he would dis"lay strategic ability of a high order, dodging, feinting and scuttling about a$ong the furniture. He could force three or four "eo"le ar$ed with broo$s, stic s and handfuls of coal, to use all their ingenuity to get in a blow. And e!en when they did, it was seldo$ that they could do hi$ a serious in+ury or lea!e any i$"rint. )ut when the child was "resent, these scenes did not occur. &t ca$e to be recogni#ed that if the dog was $olested, the child would burst into sobs, and as the child, when started, was !ery riotous and "ractically un-uenchable, the dog had therein a safeguard. Howe!er, the child could not always be near. At night, when he was aslee", his dar -brown friend would raise fro$ so$e blac corner a wild, wailful cry, a song of infinite lowliness and des"air, that would go shuddering and sobbing a$ong the buildings of the bloc and cause "eo"le to swear. At these ti$es the singer would often be chased all o!er the itchen and hit with a great !ariety of articles. So$eti$es, too, the child hi$self used to beat the dog, although it is not nown that he e!er had what could be truly called a +ust cause. The dog always acce"ted these thrashings with an air of ad$itted guilt. He was too $uch of a dog to try to loo to be a $artyr or to "lot re!enge. He recei!ed the blows with dee" hu$ility, and further$ore he forga!e his friend the $o$ent the child had finished, and was ready to caress the child(s hand with his little red tongue. 'hen $isfortune ca$e u"on the child, and his troubles o!erwhel$ed hi$, he would often crawl under the table and lay his s$all distressed head on the dog(s bac . The dog was e!er sy$"athetic. &t is not to be su""osed that at such ti$es he too occasion to refer to the un+ust beatings his friend, when "ro!o ed, had ad$inistered to hi$. He did not achie!e any notable degree of inti$acy with the other $e$bers of the fa$ily. He had no confidence in the$, and the fear that he would e."ress at their casual a""roach often e.as"erated the$ e.ceedingly. They used to gain a certain satisfaction in underfeeding hi$, but finally his friend the child grew to watch the $atter with so$e care, and when he forgot it, the dog was often successful in secret for hi$self. So the dog "ros"ered. He de!elo"ed a large bar , which ca$e wondrously fro$ such a s$all rug of a dog. He ceased to howl "ersistently at night. So$eti$es, indeed, in his slee", he would utter little yells, as fro$ "ain, but that occurred, no doubt, when in his drea$s he encountered huge fla$ing dogs who threatened hi$ direfully. His de!otion to the child grew until it was a subli$e thing. He wagged at his a""roach0 he san down in des"air at his de"arture. He could detect the sound of the child(s ste" a$ong all the noises of the neighborhood. &t was li e a calling !oice to hi$. The scene of their co$"anionshi" was a ingdo$ go!erned by this terrible "otentate, the child0 but neither criticis$ nor rebellion e!er li!ed for an instant in the heart of the one

sub+ect. *own in the $ystic, hidden fields of his little dog-soul bloo$ed flowers of lo!e and fidelity and "erfect faith. The child was in the habit of going on $any e."editions to obser!e strange things in the !icinity. %n these occasions his friend usually +ogged ai$fully along behind. Perha"s, though, he went ahead. This necessitated his turning around e!ery -uarter-$inute to $a e sure the child was co$ing. He was filled with a large idea of the i$"ortance of these +ourneys. He would carry hi$self with such an air1 He was "roud to be the retainer of so great a $onarch. %ne day, howe!er, the father of the fa$ily got -uite e.ce"tionally drun . He ca$e ho$e and held carni!al with the coo ing utensils, the furniture and his wife. He was in the $idst of this recreation when the child, followed by the dar -brown dog, entered the roo$. They were returning fro$ their !oyages. The child(s "ractised eye instantly noted his father(s state. He di!ed under the table, where e."erience had taught hi$ was a rather safe "lace. The dog, lac ing s ill in such $atters, was, of course, unaware of the true condition of affairs. He loo ed with interested eyes at his friend(s sudden di!e. He inter"reted it to $ean2 3oyous ga$bol. He started to "atter across the floor to +oin hi$. He was the "icture of a little dar -brown dog en route to a friend. The head of the fa$ily saw hi$ at this $o$ent. He ga!e a huge howl of +oy, and noc ed the dog down with a hea!y coffee-"ot. The dog, yelling in su"re$e astonish$ent and fear, writhed to his feet and ran for co!er. The $an ic ed out with a "onderous foot. &t caused the dog to swer!e as if caught in a tide. A second blow of the coffee-"ot laid hi$ u"on the floor. Here the child, uttering loud cries, ca$e !aliantly forth li e a night. The father of the fa$ily "aid no attention to these calls of the child, but ad!anced with glee u"on the dog. 4"on being noc ed down twice in swift succession, the latter a""arently ga!e u" all ho"e of esca"e. He rolled o!er on his bac and held his "aws in a "eculiar $anner. At the sa$e ti$e with his eyes and his ears he offered u" a s$all "rayer. )ut the father was in a $ood for ha!ing fun, and it occurred to hi$ that it would be a fine thing to throw the dog out of the window. So he reached down and grabbing the ani$al by a leg, lifted hi$, s-uir$ing, u". He swung hi$ two or three ti$es hilariously about his head, and then flung hi$ with great accuracy through the window. The soaring dog created a sur"rise in the bloc . A wo$an watering "lants in an o""osite window ga!e an in!oluntary shout and dro""ed a flower-"ot. A $an in another window leaned "erilously out to watch the flight of the dog. A wo$an, who had been hanging out clothes in a yard, began to ca"er wildly. Her $outh was filled with clothes-"ins, but her ar$s ga!e !ent to a sort of e.cla$ation. &n a""earance she was li e a gagged "risoner. Children ran whoo"ing. The dar -brown body crashed in a hea" on the roof of a shed fi!e stories below. ,ro$ thence it rolled to the "a!e$ent of an alleyway. The child in the roo$ far abo!e burst into a long, dirgeli e cry, and toddled hastily out of the roo$. &t too hi$ a long ti$e to reach the alley, because his si#e co$"elled hi$ to go downstairs bac ward, one ste" at a ti$e, and holding with both hands to the ste" abo!e.

'hen they ca$e for hi$ later, they found hi$ seated by the body of his dar -brown friend.