e
merged into a group of excited persons who were moving about in a scene
which struck Dene with amazement.

On the quay, beside which a steamer was moored, towered a couple of huge
elephants, surrounded by camels, horses, and mules, while on trollies
stood cages of wild beasts, lions, tigers, jackals; one of the elephants
was trumpeting, the camels were groaning, the carnivora roaring; mixed
with their din were the voices of a motley crew, men and women, having
the same appearance in dress and manner as that of the two men he had
followed. Dene saw that it was a travelling menagerie and circus, and he
looked on it with an amusement which predominated over his
self-interest. Presently there darted into the conglomerate mass an
extraordinary object--it might have been one of the monkeys escaped from
its cage and miraculously raised into imitation of a man's stature. The
diminutive figure was enveloped in a fur coat, much too large for it,
and crowned by a ridiculous sombrero hat. An extinct cigar was held in
the clenched teeth, and as the thing waved its hand Dene caught the
glitter of innumerable rings.

At the appearance of this strange creature a momentary silence fell on
the crowd. Without a word, he darted to and fro, always waving the
beringed hand and biting harder on his cigar. But though he did not
speak, and there seemed to be no meaning in the waving of his hands, the
movements of the crowd began to take to themselves something of purpose
and order, and the animals fell into line and began to pass along the
broad gangway as if they were under the command of Noah and going into
the Ark. The little man in the fur coat was evidently the controlling
spirit; he seemed to be everywhere at once, and the gesticulating paws
were like those of a conductor conducting a band; wherever a difficulty
cropped up, the fur coat and the sombrero hat were beside it, and the
glittering paws smoothing it away.

The more docile of the beasts were on board. The cages had been hoisted
by the crane, and the horses were following; one of them grew restive,
and slipped from the grasp of the man in charge of it. It would have
made a bolt for it, but Dene, who happened to be standing quite close,
caught hold of the bridle. As he did so, the hands waved before his
face; somehow or other, Dene understood that the gesture meant "Go on!"
and he led the horse over the gangway on to the ship.

The grotesque figure had followed him, and, with