Snare Of The Fowler, parts 2168 - 2171

2168. The fact that Remo’s eyes were so large, and his body so small hairless, and bony gave him the look of a perpetually terrified rat endlessly looking around every moment for a route of escape from his present situation, even if that situation was simply being petted by his indulgent owner.

2169. Under the circumstances Remo’s owner was willing for him to be pitted against Otis, so his expensive collar with its jewelry was removed and he was thrust unexpectedly right down into the dog pit. But Remo, as frightened as he looked, was no stupid dog. He had watched with great curiosity the contest between Otis and the Rooster and had noticed one important thing that the other spectators had not observed.

2170, Remo noticed that the Rooster’s pecking of Otis’ skull produced no sound at all. No matter how vigorously the Rooster seemed to bang away at Otis’ head, Remo could tell there was no actual contact between beak and skull-bone.

2171. Remo knew it was all an act. The fact that Otis and that Rooster were partners in a scam perpetrated on the audience did not in any way prove that the greyhound had nothing to fear. On the contrary, perhaps both the rooster and Otis might just as well have been happy to pull him apart like an over-cooked turkey.