The Laugher

"The Laugher" features an unnamed protagonist and his irrational hatred of one John Cleverhouse. The protagonist becomes obsessed with Cleverhouse, hating not only his moon-face, but also his laugh and his unflagging optimism—indeed, his entire life. Though the protagonist does everything he can to make that life miserable, he fails. So he hatches a plot to kill Cleverhouse—who, the protagonist knows, engages in illegal fishing with dynamite. He teaches a dog, Bellona, to do one thing and one thing only: retrieval, with an emphasis on water-retrieving and returning the stick instantly to the thrower, wherever he is. Cleverhouse is then presented with Bellona before his upcoming bass-fishing trip. At a local pond, the protagonist observes from a distance, with glee, as Cleverhouse begins to engage in illegal fishing for bass: the latter lights a stick of dynamite and throws it into the water. Trained to retrieve, Bellona immediately fetches the explosive out of the pond and races for her master, who futilely tries to run away from the dog. Just as Bellona catches up with Cleverhouse, there is a sudden flash, a burst of smoke, and a terrific detonation that vaporizes both man and animal. From his perch on a hill, the protagonist dies laughing at this sight—after which his body rolls down to a spot not far from the hole in the ground made by the dynamite explosion.