he was amusing him self in a quaint way at the
back of his cage. He had a small lassoo made of cord, and was throwing it
at an object near the wall at a distance of five feet.

Every time Nickie failed he swore in a patient heart-broken way, but he
persisted, and eventually success crowned his efforts. An exclamation of
great joy burst from his lips.

"No silly business there, Mahdi," cried Madame warningly from her tent.
"The public will be here in half a tick."

Mahdi dropped his string and curled in a knot, but presently he started
cautiously hauling in his prize. A long hairy arm reached out and
clutched it, and hastily hid the object in the straw. The treasure was a
bottle three-parts full of brandy, Professor Thunder's extra special.

The Missing Link's performances during the next hour were curious and
perfunctory: the animal was not himself. If Missing Links were habitually
intemperate one would be inclined to say this Missing Link had taken
something too much. During a quiet quarter of an hour Mahdi got the key
of his cage from the Professor's ordinary vest, which had been left
hanging within his reach, opened the door, and going quietly along the
wall behind the cages, reached the back door, opened it, and stepped into
the night.

Two minutes later a monstrous shape came out of the shadows of a
right-of-way into the well-lighted City Street, a strange, misshapen
animal, with a head half-human half-monkey, with a body like that of an
ourang-outang and long, flapping feet. The brute was covered with short,
tufted, reddish hair, and in its hand it carried a brandy bottle
containing about half-a-cup of spirit.

The first to confront Nicholas Crips, the Missing Link, was a woman. She
did not attempt to escape, but stood right in his way, staring at him
with eye frantic with terror. Fear had struck her motionless but not
dumb; she shrieked in Mahdi's face again and again. Her screams echoed
along the street.

"Thash all ri', missus," said the Missing Link affably, "I don' know you,
an' excuse me; I don' wanter hear you sing." He brushed her aside, and
rolled drunkenly into a wine shop.

In the wine shop a large mirror served as a door screen. Nickie saw his
grizzly shape reflected in this, and after surveying it in stupid
surprise for a few moments, smashed the glass with his bottle, and rolled
out again.

Amazed men assembled at the door, fell back in awe before the Missing
Link, and Mahdi crossed the ro