“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.”

“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.