After many inquiries and almost as many refusals, and perpetually
using the words ‘PALL MALL GAZETTE ' as a sort of talisman,
I managed to find the keeper of the section of the Zoological Gardens
in which the wold department is included. Thomas Bilder lives
in one of the cottages in the enclosure behind the elephant house,
and was just sitting down to his tea when I found him.
Thomas and his wife are hospitable folk, elderly, and without
children, and if the specimen I enjoyed of their hospitality
be of the average kind, their lives must be pretty comfortable.
The keeper would not enter on what he called business
until the supper was over, and we were all satisfied.
Then when the table was cleared, and he had lit his pipe, he said,
"Now, Sir, you can go on and arsk me what you want. You'll excoose
me refoosin' to talk of perfeshunal subjucts afore meals.
I gives the wolves and the jackals and the hyenas in all our section
their tea afore I begins to arsk them questions."
"How do you mean, ask them questions?" I queried, wishful to get
him into a talkative humor.
" ‘Ittin' of them over the ‘ead with a pole is one way.
Scratchin' of their ears in another, when gents as is flush
wants a bit of a show-orf to their gals. I don't so much
mind the fust, the ‘ittin of the pole part afore I chucks
in their dinner, but I waits till they've ‘ad their sherry
and kawffee, so to speak, afore I tries on with the ear
scratchin'. Mind you," he added philosophically, "there's a
deal of the same nature in us as in them theer animiles.
Here's you a-comin' and arskin' of me questions about
my business, and I that grump-like that only for your bloomin'
‘arf-quid I'd ‘a' seen you blowed fust ‘fore I'd answer.
Not even when you arsked me sarcastic like if I'd like you
to arsk the Superintendent if you might arsk me questions.
Without offence did I tell yer to go to ‘ell?"
"You did."
"An' when you said you'd report me for usin' obscene language that was ‘ittin'
me over the ‘ead. But the ‘arf-quid made that all right. I weren't a-goin'
to fight, so I waited for the food, and did with my ‘owl as the wolves
and lions and tigers does. But, lor' love yer ‘art, now that the old ‘ooman
has stuck a chunk of her tea-cake in me, an' rinsed me out with her bloomin'
old teapot, and I've lit hup, you may scratch my ears for all you're worth,
and won't even get a growl out of me. Drive along with your questions.
I know what yer a-comin' at, that ‘ere escaped wolf."
"Exactly. I want you to give me your view of it.
Just tell me how it happened, and when I know the facts
I'll get you to say what you consider was the cause of it,
and how you think the whole affair will end."
"All right, guv'nor. This ‘ere is about the ‘ole story.
That‘ere wolf what we called Bersicker was one of three gray ones that
came from Norway to Jamrach's, which we bought off him four years ago.
He was a nice well-behaved wolf, that never gave no trouble to talk of.
I'm more surprised at ‘im for wantin' to get out nor any other animile
in the place. But, there, you can't trust wolves no more nor women."
"Don't you mind him, Sir!" broke in Mrs. Tom, with a cheery laugh.
" ‘E's got mindin' the animiles so long that blest if he ain't
like a old wolf ‘isself! But there ain't no ‘arm in ‘im."
"Well, Sir, it was about two hours after feedin'
yesterday when I first hear my disturbance. I was makin'
up a litter in the monkey house for a young puma which is ill.
But when I heard the yelpin' and ‘owlin' I kem away straight.
There was Bersicker a-tearin' like a mad thing at the bars as if
he wanted to get out. There wasn't much people about that day,
and close at hand was only one man, a tall, thin chap, with a ‘ook
nose and a pointed beard, with a few white hairs runnin' through it.
He had a ‘ard, cold look and red eyes, and I took a sort of mislike
to him, for it seemed as if it was ‘im as they was hirritated at.
He ‘ad white kid gloves on ‘is ‘ands, and he pointed out the animiles
to me and says, ‘Keeper, these wolves seem upset at something.'
"‘Maybe it's you,' says I, for I did not like the airs as he give
‘isself. He didn't get angry, as I ‘oped he would, but he smiled
a kind of insolent smile, with a mouth full of white, sharp teeth.
‘Oh no, they wouldn't like me,' ‘e says.
" ‘Ow yes, they would,' says I, a-imitatin'of him.‘They always
like a bone or two to clean their teeth on about tea time,
which you ‘as a bagful.'
"Well, it was a odd thing, but when the animiles see us a-talkin'
they lay down, and when I went over to Bersicker he let me
stroke his ears same as ever. That there man kem over,
and blessed but if he didn't put in his hand and stroke the old
wolf's ears too!
" ‘Tyke care,' says I. ‘Bersicker is quick.'
" ‘Never mind,' he says. I'm used to ‘em!'
" ‘Are you in the business yourself?" I says, tyking off my ‘at, for a man
what trades in wolves, anceterer, is a good friend to keepers.
" ‘Nom' says he, ‘not exactly in the business, but I ‘ave made
pets of several.' and with that he lifts his ‘at as perlite
as a lord, and walks away. Old Bersicker kep' a-lookin'
arter ‘im till ‘e was out of sight, and then went and lay
down in a corner and wouldn't come hout the ‘ole hevening.
Well, larst night, so soon as the moon was hup, the wolves here
all began a-‘owling. There warn't nothing for them to ‘owl at.
There warn't no one near, except some one that was evidently a-callin'
a dog somewheres out back of the gardings in the Park road.
Once or twice I went out to see that all was right, and it was,
and then the ‘owling stopped. Just before twelve o'clock
I just took a look round afore turnin' in, an', bust me,
but when I kem opposite to old Bersicker's cage I see
the rails broken and twisted about and the cage empty.
And that's all I know for certing."
"Did any one else see anything?"
"One of our gard‘ners was a-comin' ‘ome about that time from a ‘armony,
when he sees a big gray dog comin' out through the garding ‘edges. At least,
so he says, but I don't give much for it myself, for if he did ‘e never
said a word about it to his missis when ‘e got ‘ome, and it was only after
the escape of the wolf was made known, and we had been up all night a-huntin'
of the Park for Bersicker, that he remembered seein' anything. My own belief
was that the ‘armony ‘ad got into his ‘ead."
"Now, Mr. Bilder, can you account in any way for the escape of the wolf?"
"Well, Sir," he said, with a suspicious sort of modesty, "I think I can,
but I don't know as ‘ow you'd be satisfied with the theory."
"Certainly I shall. If a man like you, who knows the animals from experience,
can't hazard a good guess at any rate, who is even to try?"
"well then, Sir, I accounts for it this way. It seems to me that ‘ere
wolf escaped--simply because he wanted to get out."
From the hearty way that both Thomas and his wife laughed
at the joke I could see that it had done service before,
and that the whole explanation was simply an elaborate sell.
I couldn't cope in badinage with the worthy Thomas, but I thought
I knew a surer way to his heart, so I said, "Now, Mr. Bilder,
we'll consider that first half-sovereign worked off, and this
brother of his is waiting to be claimed when you've told me
what you think will happen."
"Right y‘are, Sir," he said briskly. "Ye‘ll excoose me, I know,
for a-chaffin' of ye, but the old woman her winked at me,
which was as much as telling me to go on."
"Well, I never!" said the old lady.
"My opinion is this. That ‘ere wolf is a‘idin' of, somewheres.
The gard‘ner wot didn't remember said he was a-gallopin'
northward faster than a horse could go, but I don't believe him,
for, yer see, Sir, wolves don't gallop no more nor dogs does,
they not bein' built that way. Wolves is fine things in
a storybook, and I dessay when they gets in packs and does
be chivyin' somethin' that's more afeared than they is they
can make a devil of a noise and chop it up, whatever it is.
But, Lor' bless you, in real life a wolf is only a low creature,
not half so clever or bold as a good dog, and not half a quarter
so much fight in ‘im. This one ain't been used to fightin'
or even to providin' for hisself, and more like he's somewhere
round the Park a'hidin' an' a'shiverin' of, and if he thinks
at all, wonderin' where he is to get his breakfast from.
Or maybe he's got down some area and is in a coal cellar.
My eye, won't some cook get a rum start when she sees
his green eyes a-shinin' at her out of the dark!
If he can't get food he's bound to look for it, and mayhap
he may chance to light on a butcher's shop in time.
If he doesn't, and some nursemaid goes out walkin' or orf
with a soldier, leavin' of the hinfant in the perambulator--
well, then I shouldn't be surprised if the census is one babby
the less. That's all."
I was handing him the half-sovereign, when something came bobbing
up against the window, and Mr. Bilder's face doubled its natural
length with surprise.
"God bless me!" he said. "If there ain't old Bersicker come
back by ‘isself!"
He went to the door and opened it, a most unnecessary proceeding it
seemed to me. I have always thought that a wild animal never looks
so well as when some obstacle of pronounced durability is between us.
A personal experience has intensified rather than diminished that idea.
After all, however, there is nothing like custom, for neither Bilder
nor his wife thought any more of the wolf than I should of a dog.
The animal itself was a peaceful and well-behaved as that father
of all picture-wolves, Red Riding Hood's quondam friend, whilst moving
her confidence in masquerade.
The whole scene was a unutterable mixture of comedy and pathos.
The wicked wolf that for a half a day had paralyzed London
and set all the children in town shivering in their shoes,
was there in a sort of penitent mood, and was received
and petted like a sort of vulpine prodigal son.
Old Bilder examined him all over with most tender solicitude,
and when he had finished with his penitent said,
"There, I knew the poor old chap would get into some kind of trouble.
Didn't I say it all along? Here's his head all cut and full of broken glass.
‘E's been a-gettin' over some bloomin' wall or other. It's a shyme
that people are allowed to top their walls with broken bottles.
This ‘ere's what comes of it. Come along, Bersicker."
He took the wolf and locked him up in a cage, with a piece of meat
that satisfied, in quantity at any rate, the elementary conditions
of the fatted calf, and went off to report.
I came off too, to report the only exclusive information that is given
today regarding the strange escapade at the Zoo.
DR. SEWARD'S DIARY
17 September.--I was engaged after dinner in my study posting up
my books, which, through press of other work and the many visits to Lucy,
had fallen sadly into arrear. Suddenly the door was burst open,
and in rushed my patient, with his face distorted with passion.
I was thunderstruck, for such a thing as a patient getting of his
own accord into the Superintendent's study is almost unknown.
Without an instant's notice he made straight at me.
He had a dinner knife in his hand, and as I saw he was dangerous,
I tried to keep the table between us. He was too quick and
too strong for me, however, for before I could get my balance
he had struck at me and cut my left wrist rather severely.
Before he could strike again, however, I got in my right
hand and he was sprawling on his back on the floor.
My wrist bled freely, and quite a little pool trickled
on to the carpet. I saw that my friend was not intent
on further effort, and occupied myself binding up my wrist,
keeping a wary eye on the prostrate figure all the time.
When the attendants rushed in, and we turned our attention
to him, his employment positively sickened me. He was lying
on his belly on the floor licking up, like a dog, the blood
which had fallen from my wounded wrist. He was easily secured,
and to my surprise, went with the attendants quite placidly,
simply repeating over and over again, "The blood is the life!
The blood is the life!"
I cannot afford to lose blood just at present. I have lost too
much of late for my physical good, and then the prolonged strain
of Lucy's illness and its horrible phases is telling on me.
I am over excited and weary, and I need rest, rest, rest.
Happily Van Helsing has not summoned me, so I need not forego my sleep.
Tonight I could not well do without it.