-coast, while at the end they would be slowly trudging to the north,
having called _en route_ at the headquarters in London, there to take
possession of some other animal. And while they carried out this work
others did the same, for the menagerie was a large and profitable
concern. At the London headquarters there were cages and houses
innumerable, in which the various animals were kept. But seldom indeed
was any particular one a tenant of his cage for more than a fortnight,
for, much to Phil's surprise, the demand for lions, tigers, and other
wild beasts was extraordinarily large. Now it was a zoological garden
that wished to replace the lose of one of its show animals, and now some
wealthy nobleman with a fancy for a private menagerie. Then, too,
demands came from the Continent, and had to be attended to. The animals
were placed in well-built, warm, but properly ventilated cages, capable
of being lifted from their wheels if necessary, and in these they
journeyed by road to their several destinations. In no case was the
railroad used, for it was as yet very far from attaining to its present
efficiency, and experience had taught the owner of the menagerie that
beasts from foreign parts required to be treated like hot-house flowers,
and protected from the chills and biting winds met with in England.

Two months and more passed pleasantly, and by that time Phil was quite
accustomed to his work, and moreover, from frequent calls at the
menagerie in London, had met all the other hands.

"I like the life immensely, and am sure it agrees with me," he answered
with enthusiasm one day when Jim suddenly turned upon him and asked him
the question. "I earn more than I did some weeks ago, and in a very
pleasant manner compared with the other employment. Besides, I have
been amongst a number of working men and find that I can rub shoulders
with them and not quarrel. It is just what I wanted to know, and now
that I have had the experience I shall not be long in leaving this
employment and enlisting in the army."

"You must do just as you like there, lad," replied Jim briskly. "Each
chap settles that kind of thing for hisself. For my part, though, I've
been too long and too contented at this here work to want to change."

And indeed there was no doubt that Jim enjoyed his life to the full. A
contented and merry fellow, he was just the one to make his companions
look upon the bright side of things. Not that Phil was ev