nberry's lips came together and his cheeks began to pull in.
Bennington resigned himself to hearing again the phrase, "There are
some areas of human behavior--"

* * * * *

"_Car 17, at M dash 9, Code Two Zero, times two. Standing by for
instructions._"

Bennington turned to watch Chief Scott's big fore-fingers travel a
line from the side and a line from the top that brought them together
on the big map. "Signs of breaking and entering, down on Hickory,
where it's all big warehouses."

Thornberry leaped to the chief's side. "Lonely at this time of night?
Dark? Not too many people?"

"Right on every count," Scott said. "Only a few night watchmen."

"This should be carefully checked," and Thornberry started for the
door.

Scott turned to the dispatcher. "Tell them just to keep the place
under observation until I get there."

There was an odd eagerness about the chief, odd until Bennington
remembered Scott's grim analysis of Clarens' behavior, the chief's
hope that Clarens would resist arrest.

_And why do I now recall that time in Burma when I followed the
wounded tiger into the cave?_

_What was I thinking of at the time?_

Thornberry had disappeared into the corridor, but for once even the
prospect of immediate action was not enough to get the impetuous Mosby
out the door ahead of Scott.

_Was I thinking of mercy, that I could not let a wounded beast which
could not destroy itself live with continual pain? Thornberry would
never agree, but Clarens is certainly both wounded and incapable of
self-destruction._

Thornberry was already seated in the back of the car. Mosby was ready
to seat himself in the front, Scott was opening the door to slide in
behind the driver's wheel, but Bennington did not change his steady
pace.

_Retribution and punishment, because the tiger had killed human
beings? No, no and never no, for these are worthless without
understanding by the person upon whom they are visited. A baby
understands not the reason why, but only the whack across its buttocks
when its fingers or its life are in danger, and that action is thence
forward "reject"; but Clarens is not a baby and a baby is not a tiger,
with all three having only this in common, that 'don't do this' is a
mystery...._

Bennington seated himself beside Thornberry in the rear of Scott's
sedan, more aware of his thoughts than his movements.

For a moment the whine of the turbine was high, the gle