Part 5 (1/2)
”Your mother won't care,” a.s.serted Vic.
”I know,” she nodded, ”but Daddy will.”
”Spanking?”
She looked blankly at him.
”What will he do, then, if you come in to see me?”
”He'll look at me.” She grew breathless at the thought, and cast a guilty glance over her shoulder.
”Honey,” chuckled Gregg, weakly, ”I'll take all the blame. Just you come along in and he'll do his lookin' at me.”
He thought of the slender fellow who had rescued him and his large, gentle brown eyes, but to a child even those mild eyes might seem terrible with authority.
”Will you, true?” said the child, wistfully.
”Honest and true.”
”All right.” She made up her mind instantly, her face s.h.i.+ning with excitement. ”Giddap, Bart.” And she thumped the wolf-dog vigorously with her heels.
He carried her in with a few gliding steps, soundless, except for the light rattle of claws on the floor, but he stopped well out of reach of the bed and when Vic held his left hand as far as he could across his chest, Bart winced and gave harsh warning. Vic had seen vicious dogs in his day, seen them fighting, seen them playing, but he had never heard one of them growl like this. The upper lips of the animal twitched dangerously back and the sound came from the very depths of his body.
It made the flesh crawl along Vic's back; one rip of those great teeth could tear a man's throat open. The child thudded her heels against the ribs of Bart again.
”Giddap!” she cried.
The wolf-dog shuddered but would not budge an inch.
”Naughty Bart!” She slipped off to the floor. ”I'll make him come,” she said.
”If it's the same to you,” said Vic, rather hastily, ”I'd just as soon he stayed where he is.”
”He's got to do what I want,” she answered. She shook a tiny forefinger at him. ”Bart, you just come here!”
The dog turned his blazing eyes on her and replied with a growl that shook his sides.
”Stop!” she ordered, and struck him sharply on the nose. He blinked and lowered his head under the blow, but though the snarling stopped his teeth flashed. She caught him by both jowls and tugged him forward.
”Let him be!” urged Vic.
”He's got to come!”
And come he did, step by halting step, while she hauled him, and now the snarling hoa.r.s.e intakes of breath filled the room. Once she moved a little to one side and Vic caught the glint of two eyes, red-stained, which were fixed undeviatingly upon her face. Mixed with Vic's alarm at the great fighting beast was a peculiar uneasiness, for there was something uncanny in the determination, the fearlessness of this infant.
When she stepped away the wolf-dog stood trembling visibly but his eyes were still not upon the man he hated or feared to approach but upon the child's face.
”Can you pat him now?” she asked, not for an instant turning to Gregg.
”No, but it's close enough,” he a.s.sured her. ”I don't want him any closer.”