f hard, barking laughter comes from the unseen
occupants of the cells, runs back down the tier, and abruptly ceases._]

VOICES--[_Mockingly._] The Zoo? That's a new name for this coop--a damn
good name! Steel, eh? You said a mouthful. This is the old iron house.
Who is that boob talkin'? He's the bloke they brung in out of his head.
The bulls had beat him up fierce.

YANK--[_Dully._] I musta been dreamin'. I tought I was in a cage at de
Zoo--but de apes don't talk, do dey?

VOICES--[_With mocking laughter._] You're in a cage aw right.

A coop!

A pen!

A sty!

A kennel! [_Hard laughter--a pause._]

Say, guy! Who are you? No, never mind lying. What are you?

Yes, tell us your sad story. What's your game?

What did they jug yuh for?

YANK--[_Dully._] I was a fireman--stokin' on de liners. [_Then with
sudden rage, rattling his cell bars._] I'm a hairy ape, get me? And
I'll bust youse all in de jaw if yuh don't lay off kiddin' me.

VOICES--Huh! You're a hard boiled duck ain't you!

When you spit, it bounces! [_Laughter._]

Aw, can it. He's a regular guy. Ain't you?

What did he say he was--a ape?

YANK--[_Defiantly._] Sure ting! Ain't dat what youse all are--apes? [_A
silence. Then a furious rattling of bars from down the corridor._]

A VOICE--[_Thick with rage._] I'll show yuh who's a ape, yuh bum!

VOICES--Ssshh! Nix!

Can de noise!

Piano!

You'll have the guard down on us!

YANK--[_Scornfully._] De guard? Yuh mean de keeper, don't yuh? [_Angry
exclamations from all the cells._]

VOICE--[_Placatingly._] Aw, don't pay no attention to him. He's off his
nut from the beatin'-up he got. Say, you guy! We're waitin' to hear
what they landed you for--or ain't yuh tellin'?

YANK--Sure, I'll tell youse. Sure! Why de hell not? On'y--youse won't
get me. Nobody gets me but me, see? I started to tell de Judge and all
he says was: "Toity days to tink it over." Tink it over! Christ, dat's
all I been doin' for weeks! [_After a pause._] I was tryin' to git even
wit someone, see?--someone dat done me doit.

VOICES--[_Cynically._] De old stuff, I bet. Your goil, huh?

Give yuh the double-cross, huh?

That's them every time!

Did yuh beat up de odder guy?

YANK--[_Disgustedly_] Aw, yuh're all wrong! Sure dere was a skoit in
it--but not what youse mean, not dat old tripe. Dis was a new kind of
skoit. She was dolled up all in white--in de stokehole. I tought she
was a ghost. Sure. [_A pause._]

VOICES--