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.