The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-03-02
A WONDERFUL DOG STORY.

1t was happy inspiration that
caused Jack London, when he felt
himself bound to write two books
with purpose" to cast them in a
very unusual form. The prevalent
idea that head hunting" and canni-
balism are extinct pastimes among
the peoples of the Pacific gave us
Jerry of the Islands," which, Incl
dentally, was one of the best dog
stories" ever written, but which
achieved It's object of dispelling the
idea by giving us such a vivid pic
ture of native life and customs and
modes of thought and Of their reac-
ton on the white seamen and others
who are brought into contact with
them as only Jack London had both
the knowledge and the skill to write.
He courted disaster. perhaps, In max
ing it dog story" for not even the
most faithful dog-lovers often care
about having their light literature
woven around a dog as it's central
character; but he showed as he had
never shown before an unhuman
understanding of dog-life that made
the experiment remarkable success.
1t is not in the least surprising, there
fore, that when he was moved to
make crusade against the cruelty
that he believed to be hidden behind
the animal turns" that are offered
for public entertainment he should
have been encouraged to adopt the
method of writing sequel. Jerry,
his canine hero, it will be remem-
bered, left a brother, Michael. behind
him on the beach at Tulagi; and
Michael, Brother of Jerry" tells
US what became of him, and
in doing so gives US an in
sight into the ways of the animal
trainer so complete and SO vivid that
it is bound to excite curiosity as to
how an author can have acquired
such an intimate knowledge of the
subject. The story, however, is not
confined to horrors of this kind-for,
though they are made thoroughly in
teresting, they are horrors neverthe-
less. As novel. almost Of neces-
sity, it lacks form; but as a series
of incidents, and above all Of charac-
ter-sketches, it must rank with the
best work that Jack London ever did
His ships steward. Dag Daughtry,
with "a six-quart thirst" who stole
Michael and who loved and was loved
by him with a perfect devotion, and
the Ancient Mariner who lived luXu-
riously by inducing people to go on
wildgoose chases for non-existent
treasure, are men whom Stevenson
would have loved-drawn with a sure
touch, and made altogether delight
full in spite of the obvious error of
their ways. Their cruise in search
of the mythical treasure, which
comes to an end when their schooner
is wrecked in terrific fight with an
old cow-whale, is one of the best OF
sea-stories; and it occupies about
half the book. leaving the other hall
to be devoted to Michaeps expert
ences among experts who have
methods of their own for reducing
the raging lion to subsection and
persuading the placid mule to become
an accomplished buck jumper.
Michael himself, though he becomes
famous as 'the dog Caruso," and
plays a very large part in the book.
is never obtrusive. The story is not
one in which moral thrusts it
self, with painful insistence, into
every chapter; and it is well worth
reading not only for the lesson that
it is intended to teach but for it's
real and unfiagging interest