Sergeant Prestleton and Prince Discuss Beauty-- Episode Five

Sergeant Prestleton and his Wonder Dog Prince sat around the campfire one night, eating beans. The wilds of the Yukon had exploded into a chorus of wolf calls, the hoots of owls, and the gurgle of the river. The stars seemed to swirl and shoot across the sky. The crickets kept time for the other creatures of the night. The moon sat fat and yellow above the mountains. Usually, the sergeant reveled in such splendor, but tonight, Prince noticed that his master only picked at his beans.




The sergeant and Prince had just that day outfoxed the infamous forger Frank Fanny Forestmedival, thus saving all the fiscal funds of the Frisky Folk Fabulous Furry Orphanage. Life as an officer of the law was good. But poor Sgt. Prestleton seemed not to notice anything.



Prince looked up from his plate of beans. He could take his partner's silence no more.



“Hey, Sarge,” Prince said. “What's wrong with you?”



The sergeant looked up, seemingly startled.



“Wait a minute,” said Prince. “Don't start that crap again. I speak. Wonder Dog. Blah, blah, yada, yada, yada. So on and so forth. How amazing. Yeah, yeah.”



The sergeant sighed. “No, I wasn't going to say anything. I just wasn't like...present, I guess.”



“What's up, Sarge?”



“Love,” said the sergeant.



“The school marm?”



“Gone, married the butcher.”



“Ah, heck, Sarge. She was kind of a—dog—and I don't mean that in a good way.”



The officer tossed down his plate of beans. He sighed again.



Prince smiled. “Hey, how about when we get back home you go see that Frenchy Fifi Ferguson?”



The sergeant opened his eyes wide. “Why Prince, she's a common... a common tart.”



“You betcha,” said Prince. “Got more tricks than Lassie.”



“I don't see such women,” the man said.



“Heard she likes it, human style. Like to sniff around some of that huh, Sarge?”



“Prince please!”



Suddenly, the wilds had gone silent. Even the river seemed to have stopped its flow.



“Just trying to help. Gee sarge, you seem so lonely.”

“Not so lonely Prince. I always have you.”



Prince stared at his master for a long time. He gulped down another mouthful of beans, still watching the sergeant. He then lay on the ground, and tucked his tail.



“I'm sorry I barked at you,” the man said.



It's going to be a long night, thought the dog.



“I'll be okay.”



Prince continued to stare at the man.



“So, Fifi, huh?”



Prince wagged his tail.



“Pretty girl,” the sergeant said. “Very pretty. Can't believe everything you hear, right?”



Prince barked.



Nature seemed to come alive yet again.