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 grey 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?
Well, sir, he said, with a suspicious sort of modesty, I think I can;
but I don t know as ow you d be satisfied with the theory.
Certainly I shall. If a man like you, who knows the animals from
experience, can t 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 couldn t cope in badinage
with the worthy Thomas, but I thought I knew a surer way to his heart,
so I said:--
Now, Mr. Bilder, we ll consider that first half-sovereign worked off,
and this brother of his is waiting to be claimed when you ve told me
what you think will happen.
Right y are, sir, he said briskly. Ye ll excoose me, I know, for
a-chaffin of ye, but the old woman here winked at me, which was as much
as telling me to go on.
Well, I never! said the old lady.
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