|
||||||||
There wasnt 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 its you, says I, for I did not like the airs as he give isself. He didnt 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 wouldnt like me, e says. Ow yes, they would, says I, a-imitatinof 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 didnt put in his hand and stroke the old wolfs ears too! Tyke care, says I. Bersicker is quick. Never mind, he says. Im 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 wouldnt come hout the ole hevening. Well, larst night, so soon as the moon was hup, the wolves here all began a-owling. There warnt nothing for them to owl at. There warnt 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 oclock I just took a look round afore turnin in, an, bust me, but when I kem opposite to old Bersickers cage I see the rails broken and twisted about and the cage empty. And thats all I know for certing. Did any one else see anything? One of our gardners 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 dont 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? Well, Sir, he said, with a suspicious sort of modesty, I think I can, but I dont know as ow youd be satisfied with the theory. Certainly I shall. If a man like you, who knows the animals from experience, cant hazard a good guess at any rate, who is even to try? well then, Sir, I accounts for it this way. It seems to me that ere wolf escaped--simply because he wanted to get out. From the hearty way that both Thomas and his wife laughed at the joke I could see that it had done service before, and that the whole explanation was simply an elaborate sell. I couldnt cope in badinage with the worthy Thomas, but I thought I knew a surer way to his heart, so I said, Now, Mr. Bilder, well |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Copyright: All texts on Bibliomania are © Bibliomania.com Ltd, and may not be reproduced in any form without our written permission. See our FAQ for more details. | ||||||||