got up to a
nasty, empty cage with a chain and staple in the wall.

"Ted Reddish said it was.

"'Wot makes you call it that?' ses Sam.

"Reddish didn't seem to 'ear 'im, and it took all Ginger's coaxing to
get Beauty to go in.

"'It's on'y for a day or two,' he whispers.

"'But 'ow am I to escape when you've got the brass?' ses the wild man.

"'We'll look arter that,' ses Ginger, who 'adn't got the least idea.

"The wild man 'ad a little show for the last time, jist to impress Ted
Reddish, an' it was pretty to see the way William 'andled 'im. The look
on the wild man's face showed as 'ow it was a revelashun to 'im. Then
'is three mates took a last look at 'im and went off.

"For the fust day Sam felt uneasy about 'im, and used to tell us tales
about 'is dead brother which made us think Beauty was lucky to take
arter 'is mother; but it wore off, and the next night, in the Admiral
Cochrane, 'e put 'is 'ead on Ginger's shoulder, and wep' for 'appiness
as 'e spoke of 'is nevy's home at ''Appy Cottage.'

"On the third day Sam was for going round in the morning for the money,
but Ginger said it wasn't advisable to show any 'aste; so they left it
to the evening, and Peter Russet wrote Sam a letter signed 'Barnum,'
offering 'im two 'undered for the wild man, in case Ted Reddish should
want to beat 'em down. They all 'ad a drink before they went in, and
was smiling with good temper to sich an extent that they 'ad to wait a
minute to get their faces straight afore going in.

"'Come in,' ses Reddish, and they follered 'im into the parler, where
Mrs. Reddish was sitting in a armchair shaking 'er' ead and looking at
the carpet very sorrowful.

"'I was afraid you'd come,' she ses, in a low voice.

"'So was I,' ses Reddish.

"'What for?' ses old Sam. It didn't look much like money, and 'e felt
cross.

"'We've 'ad a loss,' ses Mrs. Reddish. She touched 'erself, and then
they see she was all in black, and that Ted Reddish was wearing a black
tie and a bit o' crape round 'is arm.

"'Sorry to 'ear it, mum,' ses old Sam.

"'It was very sudden, too,' ses Mrs. Reddish, wiping 'er eyes.

"'That's better than laying long,' ses Peter Russet, comforting like.

"Ginger Dick gives a cough. 'Twenty-five pounds was wot 'e'd come for;
not to 'ear this sort o' talk.'

"'We've been in the wild-beast line seven-an'-twenty years,' ses Mrs.
Reddish, 'and it's the fust time anythink of this sort 'as 'appened.'

"''Ealthy family, I