daggett had seen peter at least twice a year during the first ten years of peter 's life ... and then there were the things that came up , like the time pete had mixed in with a porcupine , for instance , and daggett had removed the quills , one by one , whistling the theme music from the bridge on the river kwai as he did so , soothing the trembling year-old dog with one big , kindly hand .