Part III Chapter 10 Doctor Dolittle and the Green Canary by Hugh Lofting
The Papers Recovered―and Puddleby Again
When the green canary left the Doctor's hand she darted through the leafy oaks that circled the market square. As she reached the outskirts of town she could see, in the distance, a cloud of dust which marked the swiftly disappearing coach. Cutting across a field to where the road swerved to the right she overtook the galloping horses and lit on the driver's shoulder.
'Jingle! Jingle! Crack and tingle. Coachman hold your horses!' she sang at the top of her lungs so as to be heard above the racket of the rumbling wheels. This song, she felt sure, Jack would remember as she had sung it to him every time his coach had entered the courtyard of the Inn of the Seven Seas.
'Pippinella!' he cried. 'My old friend, Pippinella.'
But instead of smiling at her he drew his brows together and, grasping the reins more tightly in his hands, urged the panting horses on.
'Go away, Pip!' he yelled. 'Go away! There's danger here!'
But Pippinella clung more tightly than ever to the cloth of Jack's coat. Sensing that something was seriously wrong, she dug her claws more firmly into the fabric and leant way out to see who rode in the body of the carriage. A face with a stubbly beard and piercing black eyes hung out of the window. In his hand the man held a big black pistol which he was aiming at Jack's head.
It was the thief who had stolen the window–cleaner's papers!
'Go away, I say!' shouted Jack again. 'You'll get hurt if that rascal decides to pull the trigger!'
An evil gleam came into the eyes of the thief. He brandished the pistol. 'Who are y' callin' a rascal?' he screamed. 'I'll blow yer into kingdom come if yer gets sassy with me!'
Pippinella hopped to Jack's other shoulder so as not to further antagonize the dangerous passenger. For a moment or two she wondered what she had better do. Then, remembering the Doctor's orders to report back to him as soon as she could, the canary flew into the air and head back to town.
Mean while the Doctor had not been idle. With the help of Jip he had rounded up a half dozen mongrel dogs who were noted for their bravery and fighting ability.
'Listen,' said the Doctor in dog language when they had ceased barking their pleasure at meeting the famous animal physician. 'Can I count on you for some help—if I need it?'
'Why, sur–r–re, sur–r–re!' said Mac, a Scottish terrier of mixed origin. 'We're verra happy at assist ye, Doctor Dolittle. What is it ye want done?'
'I don't know yet,' replied the Doctor. 'But it may be very dangerous.' And glancing from one to the other of the eager faces watching him, he went on:
'Are you all agreed on Mac's decision?'
The dogs answered the Doctor with a perfect avalanche of tail–waggings, ear–scratchings and nose–twitchings.
'Come with me then!' ordered John Dolittle. And he started down the London road at a fast pace with Steve at his side and Jip and the pack of mongrel dogs at his heels.
As he scanned the sky for some sight of Pippinella, the Doctor heard the thud of a small object on his high silk hat. Reaching up to investigate he felt the clutching on his finger of a pair of tiny claws.
'It's you, Pippinella,' he said, lowering his hand as he continued running.
'No, it ain't "you, Pip",' said the bird. 'It's me, Cheapside! And I'd like to–know where yer goin'—and in such a hurry. It ain't good for your heart, Doc.'
'Never mind that now,' said the Doctor. 'I'm delighted to see you again, Cheapside. How does it happen you are down this way?'
'I didn't 'appen—as you say, Doc,' said the London sparrow. 'I were lookin' for you. Becky went off to visit her maw who's building a new 'ome in Hyde Park.—Uppitty, the old girl's got since she landed on the Queen's bonnet during a parade least week. Says Piccadilly ain't no fit place for a bird what's sat on the Queen's new bonnet. Well, as I was sayin': Becky went off for the day and I thought I'd 'ave a run down to Puddleby to see 'ow you was gettin' on. When I found you wasn't there I 'ad a quick look around.—Lor' bless me, Doc, things is in a mess.—Then I went to Greenheath and 'eard how you was off on another 'unt—for some missin' papers. Say, Doc, slow up a bit, will you? I 'ave to shout me lungs out to make myself 'eard. And what's the 'ounds doing at yer heels? Say the word, and I'll peck out their eyes!'
'No, no, Cheapside!' cried the Doctor. 'We're on our way to help Pippinella's friend, Jack, the coachman.'
As the Doctor was about to continue, he saw a tiny speck in the sky coming closer and closer.
'Here comes Pippinella now!' he said, slowing to a walk. 'She'll tell you the rest.'
The little party stood in the road and waited for the canary to arrive.
'She flies good—for a primer donner—don't she?' said the sparrow.
When the little canary landed on the Doctor's hand she had to sit gasping for a moment before she could speak. Then she described the predicament Jack was in.
'And the man with the pistol,' gasped Pippinella, 'is the fellow who stole Steve's papers!'
'Are you sure?' asked the Doctor.
'Yes!' replied the canary. 'One never forgets a face as ugly as his.'
'What about Steve's papers?' John Dolittle asked, anxiously. 'Did he have them with him?'
'I don't know,' replied Pippinella. 'But in any case we must help Jack.'
'Yes, indeed!' said the Doctor. 'We must carry out our plan quickly now,' he continued. He translated the canary's story to Steve in as few words as possible. Then turning to Jip, he said:
'Jip, take Mac and the others and follow Pippinella as fast as you can. Catch up to that coach and tell the horses I want them to stop. Mac, while Jip is explaining to the horses you get into the carriage and see that that rascal doesn't use his pistol!'
'We're on our way!' cried Jip. 'That thief isn't going to get away this time!'
'Wait for me,' cried Cheapside. 'What makes you think I ain't goin' along to 'ave some fun, too?'
The two birds shot into the air as the pack of dogs, led by Jip, raced down the road. By now the coach was no more than a tiny speck on the horizon and it took the strange group of pursuers a good ten minutes of their best speed to close the ever increasing distance between them. When they began to near the speeding carriage the dust became so thick they could barely see one another, nor could they breathe with comfort.
'Cut across this hayfield!' called Pippinella from above. 'The road makes a sharp turn just before those elms. We can reach the place ahead of the coach and cut them off.'
With Pippinella and Cheapside flying lower over the standing grain the dogs followed through the hay leaving a path behind them like the wake of a ship at sea. When they broke into the open the canary was ahead of them pointing the way with her bill.
'That's the spot—over there!' she cried. 'Follow me!'
They reached the shelter of the big elms as the coach rounded the bend. It was lurching from side to side as the horses pounded on in panic. Jack continued to urge them on while the man in the back hung out of the window shouting orders and waving his pistol in the air.
Jip dashed into the road and raced beside the galloping horses.
'Stop!' he cried. 'Doctor Dolittle orders you to stop!'
'We can't,' whined the horse on Jip's side. 'If we do, Jack will be killed!'
'Do what I tell you!' Jip commanded, nipping at the horse's foreleg. 'The other dogs will take care of that fellow with the pistol!'
Cheapside, sitting on the horse's ear, leant over and shouted into it:
'Do like he tells you, Milly! Else I'll peck out yer eyes!'
'Oh, hello, Cheapside,' said Milly, I'm happy to see you again.'
'Never mind the pink tea chatter, you dumb wagon–puller!' screamed the sparrow. 'The Doc says stop! And I'm 'ere to see his horders is carried out!'
Milly turned her head nervously and looked back over her shoulder while she raced on. She saw that what Jip had said was true; the dogs, led by Mac, the Scottish terrier, were jumping and clawing their way through the open window of the speeding carriage. The thief had disappeared from the window and the sound of scuffling could be heard from within. The exhausted mare turned to her team mate and, puffing and panting, said:
'Stop, Josephine! It's all right. Those dogs have taken care of that fellow. Thank goodness, Jack is safe and we can stop this senseless running.'
Gradually the two mares brought the lumbering coach to a halt. With relief from the nervous strain they became quite hysterical and wept openly.
'Brace up, me 'earties!' said Cheapside. 'There ain't no cause fer weepin'. You only did what you 'ad to!'
Milly shook the tears from her eyes and nudged Josephine with her nose.
'Cheapside's right,' she said. 'It wasn't our fault.'
With the stopping of the coach, the thief managed to turn the handle on the door and man and dogs tumbled out into the dusty road. He tried to get on to his feet to make a break for freedom but the dogs piled on to him and bore him to the ground again. Pippinella and Cheapside kept making short dives at his head, pecking him on the ears and generally worrying him into complete confusion.
''Elp! 'Elp!' yelled the frightened man. 'Call off your dogs! I'll come quiet like!'
Jack, with carriage whip in hand, stood over the milling mass of dogs and man.
'You're not so brave now,' he said—'without your pistol.'
Jip, seeing that Mac and his gang had the situation well in hand, was hunting frantically for the bundle of missing papers. With a yelp of joy he found them under the seat of the coach where the thief had hoped to conceal them.
'Pip! Pip!' he yelled. 'Come here! I've found Steve's papers!'
Meanwhile, down the winding road, could be seen the rapidly approaching figures of the Doctor and Steve, their jackets billowing out behind them. Pippinella flew to meet them with the good news that the papers had been recovered. The Doctor told Steve what Pippinella had said.
'Good old Pip!' said Steve. 'You're the best friend a man ever had.'
'Oh, I didn't do anything,' replied the canary. 'Jip was the one. He's guarding them until you get there.'
Again the Doctor interpreted.
When they reached the coach they found Jack trying to persuade Jip to let him have the bundle of papers. Knowing nothing of their history, he naturally supposed they belonged to the man the dogs were holding and that they would disclose his identity.
'Good doggy, Jack was saying as he poked his head into the carriage and tried to remove the bundle. 'I won't harm them.'
But Jip was adamant. He didn't know Jack—except through Pippinella—and he wasn't going to take any chances. He growled and bared his teeth at the coachman. But when he saw the Doctor framed in the open carriage doorway he let out a yelp of welcome.
'Thank goodness, you've come!' he said. 'I didn't want to have to bite Pip's friend. But I was determined to do it if he insisted on removing Steve's papers.'
The Doctor then took the bundle and handed it to Steve.
'Excellent work!' he said to Jip. 'I'm proud you. Come—we'll take a look at this rascal who has given us so much trouble.'
John Dolittle, with a smile at the comical positions of the dogs all piled helter–skelter on top of the cringing man—said to Mac:
'You may release him now. I want a word with him.'
The dogs untangled themselves, shook their rumpled coats, and came to stand beside the Doctor. As the man got to his feet the Doctor turned again to Mac.
'You and your friends are excellent hunter,' he said. 'Not a scratch on your quarry. I want to commend you very highly.'
'Thank you, Doctor Dolittle,' said the Scottish terrier. 'It was a bit difficult—when he got rambunctious—not t'nip his ears. But we remembered what ye said t'us.—Aboot not drawin' blood.'
The man, puzzled by the strange manoeuvres of the Doctor and Mac,—for, of course, they spoke in dog language—turned his head frantically from left to right looking for a means of escape.
'I wouldn't make any attempts to get way if I were you,' said the Doctor. 'My friends here would overtake you in the matter of moments.—And I'm not so sure I'd caution them against tearing you to pieces this time.'
'I didn't mean no 'arm, governor!' whined the man. 'I were just lookin' for a place t' get out of the weather when I seen those fellows a'sneakin' around the old mill and a' diggin' under the floor. "Well," I says to myself, "there must be something mighty important in this 'ere mill. I'll stick around and see what it is."'
By this time everyone—Steve, Jack, Pippinella and Cheapside—had joined the Doctor and the pack of dogs and were listening to the stranger's story.
'Like I said,' continued the man. 'I ain't no regular thief. I thought if those papers were so important to somebody else, they might fetch a quid or two if I could find the right person. They weren't no good to me, goodness knows, I couldn't make 'ead nor tail of 'em. All full of political talk—and about foreigners, at that. Please, governor, let me go. I ain't done no 'arm. If I'd 'a knowed this bloke were the rightful owner I'd 'a been 'appy to turn them over to 'im.'
Steve and the Doctor exchanged a glance and the window–cleaner, smiling, nodded.
'All right,' said the Doctor to the relief of all the party who were feeling sorry for the man and didn't want to see him punished after all. 'You may go. But try and stay out of trouble from now on. The police might not be so lenient with you.'
While the man started back up the road towards Wendlemere the Doctor thanked Mac and his friends for their assistance and dismissed them with a promise to return some day and pay them a visit.
Cheapside, perched on top of the coach, spoke to the Doctor.
'Is it 'ome to Puddleby now, Doc?' he asked.
'Yes, Cheapside,' replied the Doctor. 'It's home to Puddleby at last! I'm ready for a good long rest by the fire–side.'
'Hoh! Hoh!' laughed the sparrow. 'If it's rest you want, Doc, better not go 'ome. The 'ouse looks like a bloomin' 'ospital, it does—since some gossipin' bluejays passed the word around that you might be comin' back. Rabbits with busted paws sleepin' all over the place, 'orses with 'eaves lodgin' two to a stall in the stable, and a sneakin' weasel with her 'ole brood a' nasty little brats coughin' their 'eads off under the 'ouse.'
'Oh, dear,' sighted the Doctor. 'Then I must get there quickly. I'd feel terrible if one of them should die because it hadn't had the proper care.'
Jack would listen to nothing else but that he should drive the whole party home to Puddleby.
'Oh, I couldn't let you do that,' said John Dolittle. 'You see, we must go to Greenheath first and collect the rest of my family.'
'Well, that's all right,' the coach man said. 'Greenheath is on the way to Puddleby.'
'But there must be other passengers on the road waiting for you at this very moment,' said the Doctor.
'Probably,' said Jack. 'But I'm so late now it doesn't matter. The twelve o'clock coach will be along shortly and can pick up anyone bound for London. Besides,' Jack continued, 'you saved my life and I'd like to show my gratitude in some small way. Hop in, and we'll get started.'
'Well,' said the Doctor, hesitating. 'If you're sure it will be all right we'd be delighted to go home in such splendour. My, my! Our own private coach! Won't Gub–Gub be surprised. Come along, Steve and Pippinella.'
'We don't want to be a bother, Doctor,' said the window–cleaner. 'Pip and I can go up to London and—'
'Nonsense!' declared the Doctor. 'There's plenty of room at Puddleby. You can finish your book and enjoy some of Dab–Dab's excellent cooking at the same time. There is nothing she likes better than to have a company of hungry people around her table. Now, now,' he continued as Steve began to protest further. 'I won't hear of anything else. Get aboard everybody. We're off for Greenheath and home—home to Puddleby at last!'
THE END