New-York tribune., 1906-10-21
AN ODD FREAK " " " BY w. w. JACOBS

There's plenty o. room IN as cass/ SAW q.
WIFE, thoughtfuily and 1t Iud be company for I'm,
too
7 don't think tho wild man 'ud like that ses
Ginger.
I'm sartafn sure e wouldn't says CID ssu>
shaking rs cad
Well. we must put I'm IN e cage by hisseif
s'pose. ses Reddish. but we can't be put to too
| much expense. I'm sure the money we spent Il,
cats meat for the last wild man we 'ad was awful,
Don't you spend too much money on cats meat
Tor irn ses Sam. ed very likely leave 1t. Bring
| Ing i'm 'ome we used to give i'm the Same az wa
ad ourselves. and he got on all right
It's a wonder you didn't kill 'in,' ses Reddish.
severely. He'll be fed very different era I can
tell YOU You won't know i'm at the end o. three
days
Don't change i'm too sudden ses Ginger leop-
| ing rs ead turned away from the Wild man, wot
wos trying to catch is Cook is food at flst
COS 'es been used to it
I know wot to give 'in.' ses Reddish ofYhand-
edly. amt been in the line twenty-seven years
for nothnk. Bring I'm out to the back an TIL put
i'm in is new 'ome'
They all got up and. taking no notice of tho
Wild mans 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.
" Tn going TO put I'm in '"Appy, Cottage" for a
time says Reddish; lend hand ere. William he
says. beckoning to Of is men.
ITS that '"Appy Cottsge"r ses old Sam shifting
as they got up to nasty. empty cage. with q
chain and staple in the wall
Tied Reddish said 1t was.
"TWot makes you call II thatr ses Sam
Reddish didn't seem to ear i'm. and it took all
Gingers coaxing to get Beauty to go in.
It's only for day two he whispers
f" But 'ow escape when you've got the
brass?' the wild
Wen look arter that Ginger. who 'adn't
got the least idea
'"The wild man ad a little show for the last time
fist 10 impress Ted Reddish. an II was pretty 10
the way William 'andled i'm. The look on the
wild mans face showed as 'ow 1t was revelashun
I'm. Then is three mates took last look at I'm
and went off.
"On the third day Sam for going round IN
the morning for the money. but Ginger said IL
wasn't advisable to show any aste: so they left 1t
TO the evening and Peter Russet wrote Sam letter
signed Barnum.' offering i'm two 'undered for the
wild man. IN Ted Reddish should want 10 beat
'em down. They all 'ad a drink before they went
In. and smiling with good temper TO sich an
extent that they ad to wait minute to get their
faces straight afore going in
Come In ses Reddish. and they followed I'm
into the paror where Mrs. Reddish was sitting In
q armchair shaking er cad and looking at the car
pet very sorrowful
IT was afraid you'd come she sss. In . low
voice
so was T. Reddish
:" What for?' ses old Sam. II didn't look much
like money, and q felt cross.
We've ad loss Mrs Reddish She
touched 'erself. and then they see she was all I'm
black. arl that Ted Reddish was wearing a black
tie and BIT o. Grape round is arm
" Sorry TO ear H. num- ses old Sam
&" 1T very sudden. too ses Mrs Reddish
wtping 'er eyes
That's better than laying long, SOS Peter Rus
set. comforting like
Ginger DICK gives cough. Twenty-Five pounds
was wot ed come for; not to ear this talk
&" We've been In the Wild beast line seven.r.
twenty years. ses Mrs. Reddish and it's tho fus.
time anythink OF this 'as 'appened'
Ealthy family. s'pose.' Sam. staring
Tell i'm. Ted. sss Mrs Reddish. Ia Q 'usky
whisper.