Horror Story Review: "The Power of the Dog" by G. G. Pendarves

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This short story takes place at the El Adrar mine in an unspecified Arab country. Abou Koi is returning on camelback from a journey trying to locate the missing head clerk, Stephen Adams. The mine boss, Benson, meets him on horseback. Together, they ride back to the center of the mine town where they find a crowd around Daouad, the magician. Benson has had just about enough of the man, coming around scaring women and children with his tales of witchcraft and demons. He pushes his way through the crowd. Daouad is whipping a black and white dog, whose coat is bloodied. It’s clear the animal is near death. Despite pleas from Abou Koi to leave Daouad alone, he pulls out a revolver and puts a bullet in the dog’s brain simply to end its suffering. The magician tells Benson, “The effendi is merciful! May he find mercy when his time comes!” Benson then orders Daouad (…um, yes) out of town and orders that a yellow dog he had with him be brought to his stables. He doesn’t believe Daouad is capable of magic, even when it’s later demonstrated to him. These things are merely parlor tricks. Nor does he believe he had anything to do with Adams’s disappearance. He wasn’t around when Adams disappeared. Abou Koi insists he has the ability to fool people into thinking he’s one place when he’s another. And didn’t Adams insult Daouad by calling him a dog…? This is an unpleasant little story, in part because of the violence, but mostly because the characters are just unpleasant people. The only I might have lunch with—once—is Benson. Yet I can’t say the story is boring. I could not find a digital form of this short story. _____ Title: “The Power of the Dog” Author: G. G. Pendarves (1885-1938) First published: Weird Tales August 1927 Source: ISFDB