rising back to life as a diver coming up through a great press of water.
Since, however, Dr. Van Helsing has been with me, all this bad dreaming seems
to have passed away. The noises that used to frighten me out of my wits, the
flapping against the windows, the distant voices which seemed so close to me,
the harsh sounds that came from I know not where and commanded me to do I know
not what, have all ceased. I go to bed now without any fear of sleep. I do not
even try to keep awake. I have grown quite fond of the garlic, and a boxful
arrives for me every day from Haarlem.
Tonight Dr. Van Helsing is going away, as he has to be for a day in Amsterdam. But I need not
be watched. I am well enough to be left alone.
Thank God for Mother's sake, and dear Arthur's, and for all our friends who
have been so kind! I shall not even feel the change, for last night Dr. Van
Helsing slept in his chair a lot of the time. I found him asleep twice when I
awoke. But I did not fear to go to sleep again, although the boughs or bats or
something flapped almost angrily against the window panes.
THE PALL MALL GAZETTE 18 September.
THE ESCAPED WOLF PERILOUS ADVENTURE OF OUR INTERVIEWER
INTERVIEW WITH THE KEEPER IN THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS
After many inquiries and almost as many refusals, and perpetually using the
words `PALL MALL GAZETTE ' as a sort of talisman, I managed to find the keeper
of the section of the Zoological Gardens in which the wold department is
included. Thomas Bilder lives in one of the cottages in the enclosure behind
the elephant house, and was just sitting down to his tea when I found him.
Thomas and his wife are hospitable folk, elderly, and without children, and if
the specimen I enjoyed of their hospitality be of the average kind, their lives
must be pretty comfortable. The keeper would not enter on what he called
business until the supper was over, and we were all satisfied. Then when the
table was cleared, and he had lit his pipe, he said,
"Now, Sir, you can go on and arsk me what you want. You'll excoose me
refoosin' to talk of perfeshunal subjucts afore meals. I gives the wolves and
the jackals and the hyenas in all our section their tea afore I begins to arsk
them questions."
"How do you mean, ask them questions?" I queried, wishful to get
him into a talkative humor.
" `Ittin' of them over the `ead with a pole is one way. Scratchin' of
their ears in another, when gents as is flush wants a bit of a show-orf to
their gals. I don't so much mind the fust, the `ittin of the pole part afore I
chucks in their dinner, but I waits till they've `ad their sherry and kawffee,
so to speak,afore I tries on with the ear scratchin'. Mind you," he added
philosophically, "there's a deal of the same nature in us as in them theer
animiles. Here's you a-comin' and arskin' of me questions about my business,
and I that grump-like that only for your bloomin' `arf-quid I'd `a' seen you
blowed fust `fore I'd answer. Not even when you arsked me sarcastic like if I'd
like you to arsk the Superintendent if you might arsk me questions. Without
offence did I tell yer to go to `ell?"
"You did."
"An' when you said you'd report me for usin' obscene language that was
`ittin' me over the `ead. But the `arfquid made that all right. I weren't
a-goin' to fight, so I waited for the food, and did with my `owl as the wolves
and lions and tigers does. But, lor' love yer `art, now that the old `ooman has
stuck a chunk of her tea-cake in me, an' rinsed me out with her bloomin' old
teapot, and I've lit hup, you may scratch my ears for all you're worth, and
won't even get a growl out of me. Drive along with your questions. I know what
yer a-comin' at, that `ere escaped wolf."
"Exactly. I want you to give me your view of it. Just tell me how it
happened, and when I know the facts I'll get you to say what you consider was
the cause of it, and how you think the whole affair will end."