Lesson 4 That Dog of Mine

Henry Lawson

Macquarie, the shearer[1], had met with an accident. To tell the truth, he had been in a drunken row[2], from which he had escaped with three fractured ribs[3], a cracked head,and various minor injuries. His dog, Tally, had been a sober, but fierce participator in the row, and had escaped with a broken leg. Macquarie afterwards shouldered his bag,which had all his belongings, and staggered[4] and struggled along the track ten miles to the Union Town Hospital. Goodness knows how he did it. He didn’t exactly know himself. Tally limped behind all the way, on three legs.

The doctors examined the man’s injuries and were surprised the old man should be able to bear such pain. Of course they would take him in, but they objected to Tally. Dogs were not allowed in the hospital.

“You will have to turn that dog out,”they said to the shearer, who sat on the edge of a bed.

Macquarie said nothing.

“We cannot allow dogs about the place, my man,” said the doctor in a louder tone, thinking the man was deaf.

“Tie him up in the yard then.”

“No. He must go out. Dogs are not permitted on the grounds.”

Macquarie rose slowly to his feet,shut his suffering behind his set teeth,painfully buttoned his shirt over his hairy chest, took up his waistcoat, and staggered to the corner where his bag lay.

“What are you going to do?” they asked.

“You aren’t going to let my dog stop?”

“No. it’s against the rules. No dogs are allowed on the premises.”

He stopped and lifted his bag, but the pain was too great, and he leaned back against the wall.

“Come, come now! Man alive![5] ” exclaimed the doctor, impatiently. “You must be mad. You know you are not in a fit state to go out. Let the wardsman help you to undress.”

“No!” said Macquarie. “No. If you won’t take my dog in, you don’t take me. He’s got a broken leg and wants to fixing up just—just as much as—as I do. If I am good enough to come in, he’s good enough—and—and better.”

He paused awhile, breathing painfully, and then went on.

“That—that there old dog of mine has followed me faithful and true, these ten long, hard and hungry years. He’s about—about the only thing that ever cared whether I lived or fell on the track.”

He rested again; then he continued ：“That—that there dog was born on the track,”

he said, with a sad sort of smile. “I carried him for weeks in a can, and afterwards in my bag. And—his old mother—she’d follow along quite contented[6]—and sniff[7]the can now and again—just to see if he was all right…She followed me till she was blind—and for a year after. She followed me till she could crawl along through the dust no longer, and—and then I killed her, because I couldn’t leave her behind alive!”

He rested again.

“And this here old dog,” he continued, touching Tally’s upturned nose with his knotted fingers, “this here old dog has followed me for—for ten years; through floods and droughts, through fair times and—and hard—mostly hard; and kept me from going mad when I had no mate nor money on the lonely track; and watched over me for weeks; and saved my life more than once, and got kicks very often for thanks; and forgave me for it all; and—and fought for me.”

He took another breath.

Then he drew in his breath, shut his teeth hard, shouldered his bag, stepped into the doorway, and faced round again.

The dog limped out of the corner and looked up anxiously.

“That there do,” said Macquarie to the hospital staff in general, “is a better dog than I am a man, or you, too, it seems—and a better Christian. He’s been a better mate to me than I ever was to any man—or any man to me. He’s watched over me; fought for me; saved my life and took drunken kicks for thanks—and forgave me. He’s been a true, straight, honest, and faithful mate to me—and I’m not going to kick him out in the road with a broken leg. I—Oh, my back! my back!”

He groaned[8] and swayed forward, but they caught him, slipped off the bag, and laid him on a bed.

Half an hour later the shearer was comfortably fixed up. “Where’s my dog?” he asked, when he came to himself.

“Oh, the dog is all right,” said the nurse, rather impatiently. “Don’t bother. The doctor’s setting his leg out in the yard.”

(827 words)

Exercises

Ⅰ. How well did you read?

1. [Give the reason] The man got injured when___________ .

A. he was waiting in line

B. he was fighting others

C. he was drinking wine

2. [Judge from the details] When his owner had the accident, the dog___________ .

A. just looked on

B. helped to protect him

C. escaped with injuries

3. [Give the reason] The dog wasn’t allowed in the hospital because___________ .

A. it was against the hospital rule

B. the dog was too dangerous

C. the dog was not healthy

4. [See the purpose] The shearer insisted on leaving in order to___________ .

A. get rid of the doctors

B. go to find his dog

C. save his dear dog

5. [Judge from the details] The shearer lived a___________ life.

A. hard B. happy C. rich

6. [Read between the lines] The doctors and the nurses ___________the man’s story.

A. felt inspired by B. were touched by C. were shocked by

7. [Check the result] What happened to the dog finally?

A. He was driven out of the hospital.

B. He got his broken leg treated.

C. He was taken home by the doctor.

Ⅱ. Read for words:

1. Choose one best paraphrase or Chinese meaning for the underlined words.

(1) To tell the truth, he had been in a drunken row, from which he had escaped with three fractured ribs, a cracked head, and various minor injuries. (Para. 1)

A. strong B. broken C. separate

(2) Tally limped behind all the way, on three legs. (Para. 1)

A. ran quickly B. jumped happily C. walked unevenly

(3) “Come, come now! man alive!” exclaimed the doctor, impatiently. (Para. 13)

A. shouted B. suggested C. remarked

2. Choose one best paraphrase for the underlined expressions.

(1) Of course they would take him in, but they objected to Tally. (Para. 2)

A. got rid of B. refused to let in C. were fond of

(2) “No. He must go out. Dogs are not permitted on the grounds.” (Para. 7)

A. in the building B. in the ward C. in the yard

(3) Half an hour later the shearer was comfortably fixed up. “Where’s my dog?”he asked, when he came to himself. (Para. 25)

A. found himself B. became conscious C. calmed himself down

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