im till they come back,' ses old
Sam.

"'I won't be bit at all,' ses Russet, very sharp, 'mind that, Sam. It's
my belief Beauty's gone mad.'

"'Hush,' ses Ginger, and they 'eard Ted Reddish and 'is wife coming
back. They came in, sat down agin, and after Ted 'ad 'ad another good
look at the wild man and prodded 'im all over an' looked at 'is teeth,
he spoke up and said they'd decided to give a 'undered pun for 'im at
the end o' three days if 'e suited.

"'I s'pose,' ses Sam, looking at the others, 'that we could 'ave a bit
of it now to go on with?'

"'It's agin our way of doing business,' ses Ted Reddish. 'If it 'ud been
a lion or a tiger we could, but wild men we never do.'

"'The thing is,' ses Mrs. Reddish, as the wild man started on Russet's
leg and was pulled off by Sam and Ginger, 'where to put 'im.'

"'Why not put 'im in with the black leopard?' ses her 'usband.

"'There's plenty o' room in his cage,' says 'is wife thoughtfully, 'and
it 'ud be company for 'im too.'

"'I don't think the wild man 'ud like that,' ses Ginger.

"'I'm sartain sure 'e wouldn't,' says old Sam, shaking 'is 'ead.

"'Well, we must put 'im in a cage by hisself, I s'pose,' ses Reddish,
'but we can't be put to much expense. I'm sure the money we spent in
cat's meat for the last wild man we 'ad was awful.'

"'Don't you spend too much money on cat's meat for '_im_,' ses Sam,
''e'd very likely leave it. Bringing 'im 'ome, we used to give 'im the
same as we 'ad ourselves, and he got on all right.'

"'It's a wonder you didn't kill 'im,' ses Reddish, severely. 'He'll be
fed very different 'ere, I can tell you. You won't know 'im at the end
o' three days.'

"'Don't change 'im too sudden,' ses Ginger, keeping 'is 'ead turned away
from the wild man, wot wos trying to catch 'is eye. 'Cook 'is food at
fust, 'cos 'e's been used to it.'

"'I know wot to give 'im,' ses Reddish, offhandedly. 'I ain't been in
the line twenty-seven years for nothink. Bring 'im out to the back, an'
I'll put 'im in 'is new 'ome.'

"They all got up and, taking no notice of the wild man's whispers,
follered Ted Reddish and 'is wife out to the back, where all the wild
beasts in the world seemed to 'ave collected to roar out to each other
what a beastly place it was.

"'I'm going to put 'im in "'Appy Cottage" for a time,' says Reddish;
'lend a hand 'ere, William,' he says, beckoning to one of 'is men.

"'Is _that_ "'Appy Cottage"?' ses old Sam, sniffing, as they