Evening star., 1922-07-02
The Bar Sinister

LEARNED my nSntlnS ifoiAi Ai''
mother when 1 was very young.
We slept in a lumber yard on the
river front and by day hunted
for food along the wharves. Wheh
we got it the other tramp dogs woulo
trv to take 1t off US. and then II was
wonderful to see mother fly at them
and drive them away. When 1 was
able to fight we kept the whole river
range to ourselves. 1 had the gehu-
,ine long furnishing" jaw, so mother
said. and there wasn't man or a oos
that dared worry US. Those were
happy days. those were: and we h'eo
well. share and share alike.
Rut one day a pack OF ours we
drove off snarled back some nc~
names at her. and mother dropped
her head and ran, just as though they
had whipped US, and though l hunted
for her in every court and alley and
hack street of Montreal. never found
her.
One night a month after mother ran
away 1 asked Guardian. the old blind
mastiff whose master is the night
watchman on our slip, what 1t all
meant.
Then he tells me that my father
was great and noble gentleman
from London. Your father hao
twenty-five registered ancestors. .nad
YOUR father" old Guardian says. and
in him was the best bull-terrier blood
of England, the most ancientest. the
most royal: the winning 'blue-rlppon
blood that breeds champions. But.
YOU see. the trouble is, kid-well. you
see. Kid, the trouble is-your moth
Err
THAT will do" l said. and I got up
and walked away. holding my head
and tail high in the air.
But 1 wanted to see mother that
very minute and tell her that l didn't
care.
MOTHER is what I am, street
A'I dog: there's no royal blood IN
mothers veins. nor is she like that
father of mine. nor-and that's the
worst-she's not even like me. For
while |, when I'm washed for a fight.
this is our trouble. she-my mother
is a black and tan.
When mother hid herself from me
/ was twelve months old and able TO
take care of myself. and one day the
master pulled me out of street hght
by the hind legs and kicked me good.
You want to fight. do you?" says
ha RCh tjr
want" he says. and he kicks me
again. So knew he was my master.
and | followed him home. Since that
day I've pulled off many fights for
him. and they've brought dogs from
all over the province to have a go at
me, but up to that night none under
thirty pounds had ever downed me.
But that night so soon as they car
ried me into the ring l saw the dog
was overweight and that l was no
match for him. 1t was asking too
much of puppy.
The ring was in a hall back of
public house. l lay in the masters S
lap, wrapped in my blanket, and
while the men folks were a-hashing
drink at the bar, a little Irish groom
in CATERS came up to me and give me
the back of his hand to smell and
scratched me behind the ears.
You poor little pup, says ne.
You haven't no show" he says.
That brute in the taproom. he'll eat
your heart out
- II
NEVER could just remember what
L did happen in that ring. He gave
me no time to spring. He fell on
me like a horse. He closed deeper
and deeper on my throat, and every
thing went black and red and burst
ing; and then the handlers pulled
him off and the master give me
kick that brought me to. But l
couldn't move none.
Hes a cur" yells the master, "a
eneaking. cowardly cur And he
kicks me again in the lower ribs. so
that I go sliding across the sawdust.
He picked me up by the tail and
swung me for the men folks to see
Does any gentleman here want to
buy a dog he says. Ito make into
sausage meat?" he says. That's all
he's good for
Then l heard the little Irish groom
say. I'll give you ten bob for the
dog"
Ten shillings." says the master.
and his voice sobers bit: make 1t
two pounds and he's yours"
But the pals rushed in again.
Don't you be a fool, jerry" they
say. You'll be sorry for this when
you're sober. That dogs got good
blood in him. that dog has. Why. his
father-that very dogs father-is
Regent Royal. son of champion Re
gent Monarch, champion bull-terrier
of England for four years.
But the master calls out. Yes. his
father was Regent Royal: who's say
ing he wasn't? But the pups a cow
ardly cur. that's what his pup is. and
why-I'll tell you because his
mother was a black and-tan street
dog. that's why!''
Some way l threw myself out of the
masters grip and fell at his feet and
turned over and fastened all my teeth
in his ankle. just across the bone.
When woke. after the pals had
kicked me off him, I was in the
smoking car of a railroad train lying
in the lap of the little groom, and he
was rubbing my open wounds with
greasy, yellow stuff, exquisite to the
smell and most agreeable to lick of.
We'll what's your name-NoIan?