"All right, guv'nor. This `ere is about the `ole story. That`ere wolf
what we called Bersicker was one of three gray ones that came from Norway to
Jamrach's, which we bought off him four years ago. He was a nice well-behaved
wolf, that never gave no trouble to talk of. I'm more surprised at `im for
wantin' to get out nor any other animile in the place. But, there, you can't
trust wolves no more nor women."
"Don't you mind him, Sir!" broke in Mrs. Tom, with a cheery laugh.
" `E's got mindin' the animiles so long that blest if he ain't like a old
wolf `isself! But there ain't no `arm in `im."
"Well, Sir, it was about two hours after feedin' yesterday when I first
hear my disturbance. I was makin' up a litter in the monkey house for a young
puma which is ill. But when I heard the yelpin' and `owlin' I kem away
straight. There was Bersicker a-tearin' like a mad thing at the bars as if he
wanted to get out. There wasn't much people about that day, and close at hand
was only one man, a tall, thin chap, with a `ook nose and a pointed beard, with
a few white hairs runnin' through it. He had a `ard, cold look and red eyes,
and I took a sort of mislike to him, for it seemed as if it was `im as they was
hirritated at. He `ad white kid gloves on `is `ands, and he pointed out the
animiles to me and says, `Keeper, these wolves seem upset at something.'
"`Maybe it's you,' says I, for I did not like the airs as he give
`isself. He didn't get angry, as I `oped he would, but he smiled a kind of
insolent smile, with a mouth full of white, sharp teeth. `Oh no, they wouldn't
like me,' `e says.
" `Ow yes, they would,' says I, a-imitatin'of him.`They always like a
bone or two to clean their teeth on about tea time, which you `as a bagful.'
"Well, it was a odd thing, but when the animiles see us a-talkin' they
lay down, and when I went over to Bersicker he let me stroke his ears same as
ever. That there man kem over, and blessed but if he didn't put in his hand and
stroke the old wolf's ears too!
" `Tyke care,' says I. `Bersicker is
quick.'
" `Never mind,' he says. I'm used to `em!'
" `Are you in the business yourself?"I says, tyking off my `at,
for a man what trades in wolves, anceterer, is a good friend to keepers.
" `Nom' says he, `not exactly in the business, but I `ave made pets of
several.' and with that he lifts his `at as perlite as a lord, and walks away.
Old Bersicker kep' a-lookin' arter `im till `e was out of sight, and then went
and lay down in a corner and wouldn't come hout the `ole hevening. Well, larst
night, so soon as the moon was hup, the wolves here all began a-`owling. There
warn't nothing for them to `owl at. There warn't no one near, except some one
that was evidently a-callin' a dog somewheres out back of the gardings in the
Park road. Once or twice I went out to see that all was right, and it was, and
then the `owling stopped. Just before twelve o'clock I just took a look round
afore turnin' in, an', bust me, but when I kem opposite to old Bersicker's cage
I see the rails broken and twisted about and the cage empty. And that's all I
know for certing."
"Did any one else see anything?"
"One of our gard`ners was a-comin' `ome about that time from a `armony,
when he sees a big gray dog comin' out through the garding `edges. At least, so
he says, but I don't give much for it myself, for if he did `e never said a
word about it to his missis when `e got `ome, and it was only after the escape
of the wolf was made known, and we had been up all night a-huntin' of the Park
for Bersicker, that he remembered seein' anything. My own belief was that the
`armony `ad got into his `ead."
"Now, Mr. Bilder, can you account in any way for the escape of the
wolf?"