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pushed Jake onto his back, the dog's jaws still locked on his wrist. With his left hand Matty caught the right front paw and twisted it halfway around. Instantly Jake released Matty's hand, and Matty swiftly latched onto the other paw. |
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In the three years the Fig had owned Jake, he had never heard the dog make a sound. Never a bark, never a whimpernothing more than a thin, involuntary whine of anticipation as the Fig dangled him a snack cat. But the sound that now came from Jake cut to the quick of the Fig's brain. Matty had straddled Jake, and with a paw in each hand spread-eagled the dog. The howl from the dog was punctuated by two sharp cracks of the shoulder joints, and Jake lay there, hind legs absurdly trying to walk in the air, front legs twitching limp adieus. |
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It was supposed to be a fight to the finish but the Fig wouldn't allow it. Disregarding the crowd's demands, he unlocked the cage, gun in hand, and pulled Jake out by the hindquarters. The dog's jaws were working to catch its breath against the blood flow. Mooch helped haul the animal out back. There were two muffled shots, and Jake was in the dumpster. |
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When the crowd caught its breath, some at ringside began the Rufus chant that quickly spread. "ROOF-US, ROOF-US." |
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Another bucket of water for Matty. Then Rufus. |
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Slowly Jerry walked him down the aisle as if he were a legendary martial artistsleek and implacable. He moved him toward the cagemuzzle quietly in place, stride unbroken and measured, eyes fixed and purposeful. |
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From the mat of sawdust Matty rubbed his ankle. The flesh had been torn to the bone but his eyes were on Rufus as he was promenaded to the cage. |
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Though Rufus had never been fought, breeding and conditioning had left his instincts sharp. For most of a week Jerry would not feed the dog; then, when he was nearly mad from hunger, he would toss Rufus an animal to heighten the craving for blood. For endurance he would tie Rufus to a tree limb by his muzzle strap for as long as twenty minutes, his life spared by the sheer strength of his neck muscles and his will to live. In an upstairs room Jerry kept a treadmill rigged with a harness that gave Rufus only one optionto run in place while Jerry cranked up the speed and incline. Once he kept |
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