Stephen Crane
A Dark Brown Dog
A Child was standing on a street-corner. He leaned with one shoulder against a high board-fence and swayed the other to and fro, the while kicking carelessly at the gravel.
Sunshine beat upon the cobbles, and a lazy summer wind raised yellow dust which trailed in clouds down the avenue. Clattering trucks m oved with indistinctness through it. The child stood dreamily gazing.
After a tim e, a little dark-brown dog cam e trotting with an intent air down the sidewalk. A short rope was dragging from his neck. Occasionally he trod upon the end of it and stum bled.
He stopped opposite the child, and the two regarded each other. The dog hesitated for a m oment, but presently he m ade som e little advances wi th his tail. The child put out his hand and called him. In an apologetic m anner the dog cam e close, and the two had an interchange of friendly pattings and waggles. The dog becam e m ore enthusiastic with each m oment of the interview, until with his gleeful caperings he threatened to overturn the child. Whereupon the child lifted his hand and struck the dog a blow upon the head.
This thing seemed to overpower and astonish the little dark-brown dog, and wounded him to the heart. He sank down in despair at the child's feet. When the blow was repeated, together with an adm onition in childish sentences, he turned over upon his back, and held his paws in a peculiar manner. At the sam e tim e with his ears and his eyes he offered a sm all prayer to the child.
He looked so com ical on his back, and holding his paws peculiarly, that the child was greatly amused and gave him little taps repeatedly, to keep him so. But the little dark-brown dog took this chastisem ent in the m ost serious way, and no doubt considered that he had committed som e grave crime, for he wriggled contritely and showed his repentance in every way that was in his power. He pleaded with the child and petitioned him, and offered more prayers.
At last the child grew weary of this am usement and turned toward home. The dog was praying at the tim e. He lay on his back and turned his eyes upon the retreating form.
Presently he struggled to his feet and started after the child. The latter wandered in a perfunctory way toward his hom e, stopping at tim es to investigate various matters. During one of these pauses he discovered the little dark-brown dog who was following him with the air of a footpad.
The child beat his pursuer with a sm all stick he had foun d. The dog lay down and prayed until the c
hild had finished, and resumed his journey. Then he scrambled erect and took up the pursuit again.
On the way to his home the child turned many times and beat the dog, proclaiming with childish gestures that he he ld him in contempt as an unimportant dog, with no value save for a m oment. For being this quality of anim al the dog apologized and eloquently expressed regret, but he continued stealthily to follow the child. His manner grew so very guilty that he slunk like an assassin.
When the child reached his door-step, the dog was industriously ambling a few yards in the rear. He becam e so agitated with shame when he again confronted the child that he forgot the dragging rope. He tripped upon it and fell forward.
The child sat down on the step and the two had another interview. During it the dog greatly exerted himself to please the child. He performed a few gam bols with such abandon that the child suddenly saw him to be a valuable thing. He made a swift, avaricious charge and seized the rope.
He dragged his captive into a hall and up many long stairways in a dark tenem ent. The dog m ade willing efforts, but he could not hobble very skilfully up the stairs because he was very sm all and soft, and at last the pace of the engrossed child grew so energetic that the dog becam e panic-stricken. In his mind he was being dragged toward a grim unknown. His eyes grew wild with the terro
r of it. He began to wiggle his head frantically and to brace his legs.
The child redoubled his exertions. They had a battle on the stairs. The child was victorious because he was com pletely absorbed in his purpose, and because the dog was very sm all. He dragged his acquirement to the door of his hom e, and finally with triumph across the threshold.
No one was in. The child sat down on the floor and made overtures to the dog. These the dog instantly accepted. He beam ed with affection upon his new friend. In a short tim e they were firm and abiding com rades.
When the child's family appeared, they m ade a great row. The dog was examined and commented upon and called names. Scorn was leveled at him from all eyes, so that he becam e much embarrassed and drooped like a scorched plant. But the child went sturdily to the center of the floor, and, at the top of his voice, cham pioned the dog. It happened that he was roaring protestations, with his arms clasped about the dog's neck, when the father of the fam ily cam e in from work.
The parent dem anded to know what the blazes they were m aking the kid howl for. It was explained in many words that the infernal kid wanted to introduce a disreputable dog into the fam ily.
A family council was held. On this depended 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 quickly ended. The father of the fam ily, it appears, was in a particularly savage tem per that evening, and when he perceived that it would
am aze and anger everybody if such a dog were allowed to rem ain, he decided that it should be so. The child, crying softly, took his friend off to a retired part of the room to hobnob with him, while the father quelled a fierce rebellion of his wife. So it cam e to pass that the dog was a m ember of the household.
He and the child were associated together at all tim es save when the child slept. The child becam e a guardian and a friend. If the large folk kicked the dog and threw things at him, the child made loud and violent objections. Once when the child had run, protesting loudly, with tears raining down his face and his arms outstretched, to protect his friend, he had been struck in the head with a very large saucepan from the hand of his father, enraged at som e seeming lack of courtesy in the dog. Ever
after, the family were careful how they threw things at the dog. Moreover, the latter grew very skilful in avoiding missiles and feet. In a sm all room containing a stove, a table, a bureau and som e chairs,
he would display strategic ability of a high order, dodging, feinting and scuttling about am ong the furniture. He could force three or four people armed with brooms, sticks and handfuls of coal, to use all their ingenuity to get in a blow. And even when they did, it was seldom that they could do him a serious injury or leave any imprint.
But when the child was present, these scenes did not occur. It cam e to be recognized that if the dog was molested, the child would burst into sobs, and as the child, when started, was very riotous and practically unquenchable, the dog had therein a safeguard.
However, the child could not always be near. At night, when he was asleep, his dark-brown friend would raise from some black corner a wild, wailful cry, a song of infinite lowliness and despair, that would go shuddering and sobbing among the buildings of the block and cause people to swear. At these tim es the singer would often be chased all over the kitchen and hit with a great variety of articles.
Som etimes, too, the child himself used to beat the dog, although it is not known that he ever had what could be truly called a just cause. The dog always accepted these thrashings with an air of adm itted guilt. He was too much of a dog to try to look to be a m artyr or to plot revenge. He received the
blows with deep humility, and furthermore he forgave his friend the moment the child had finished, and was ready to caress the child's hand with his little red tongue.
When misfortune cam e upon the child, and his troubles overwhelmed him, he would often crawl under the table and lay his small distressed head on the dog's back. The dog was ever sym pathetic. It is not to be supposed that at such tim es he took occasion to refer to the unjust beatings his friend, when provoked, had administered to him.
He did not achieve any notable degree of intim acy with the other m embers of the fam ily. He had no confidence in them, and the fear that he would express at their casual approach often exasperated them exceedingly. They used to gain a certain satisfaction in underfeeding him, but finally his friend the child grew to watch the
matter with som e care, and when he forgot it, the dog was often successful in secret for himself.
So the dog prospered. He developed a large bark, which cam e wondrously from such a sm all rug of a dog. He ceased to howl persistently at night. Som etimes, indeed, in his sleep, he would utter little yells, as from pain, but that occurred, no doubt, when in his dreams he encountered huge flaming dogs who threatened him direfully.
His devotion to the child grew until it was a sublime thing. He wagged at his approach; he sank down in despair at his departure. He could detect the sound of the child's step among all the noises of the neighborhood. It was like a calling voice to him.
The scene of their companionship was a kingdom governed by this terrible potentate, the child; but neither criticism nor rebellion ever lived for an instant in the heart of the one subject. Down in the m ystic, hidden fields of his little dog-soul bloomed flowers of love and fidelity and perfect faith.
The child was in the habit of going on m any expeditions to observe strange things in the vicinity. On these occasions his friend usually jogged aim fully along behind. Perhaps, though, he went ahead. This necessitated his turning around every quarter-minute to m ake sure the child was coming. He was filled with a large idea of the im portance of these journeys. He would carry himself with such an air! He was proud to be the retainer of so great a m onarch.
One day, however, the father of the family got quite exceptionally drunk. He cam e hom e and held carnival with the cooking utensils, the furniture and his wife. He was in the midst of this recreation when the child, followed by the dark-brown dog, entered the room. They were returning from their voyages.
The child's practised eye instantly noted his father's state. He dived under the table, where experience had taught him was a rather safe place. The dog, lacking skill in such m atters, was, of course, unaware of the true condition of affairs. He looked with interested eyes at his friend's sudden dive. He interpreted it to m ean: Joyousshudder

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