ing into the
middle of the street. Mahdi had opened a front window, and stepped out on
to the roof of the verandah. He was dancing clumsily on the corrugated
iron, and gesticulating, with his long, shaggy hands. Nickie was
declaring with the warmth of absolute conviction that he was a king, but
the yelling of the crowd rendered his speech inaudible.

"I'm a king!" cried the Missing Link. "Behold in me your rightful
sovereign. Bow down t' ye ri'ful sovereign, ye base born!" He threw five
fried sausages into the crowd.

The crowd continued yelling, and Nickie broke into a vain-glorious song,
and capered like an idiot brandishing a Vienna loaf.

Professor Thunder beat on his forehead like the baffled villain in the
play. "Ten thousand furies!" he howled, and dashed for the stairs.

While the Missing Link was still capering, Professor Thunder appeared at
the window. He climbed through. The crowd loudly applauded his courage.
He descended upon Mahdi, he seized him. The crowd cheered vociferously.
Professor Thunder kicked the Missing Link. He dragged him back to the
window, and kicked him through. The crowd nearly went frantic in its
appreciation of such heroism.

Presently the Professor appeared on the stairs, dragging the hairy
monster after him. He dragged it by the leg. It bumped cruelly on the
steps. The Professor pulled the Missing Link to his feet, took him by his
rudimentary tail and the scuff of his neck, and ran him out of the shop.
He ran the grizzly monster up the street as a publican ejects the
unwelcome drunk. The crowd followed, cheering still.

It was an inspiriting sight. The Missing Link running on tip-toes, his
eyes projecting, seemingly in imminent danger of falling on his nose, the
Professor furious, two wild policemen with drawn clubs following after,
ready to do or die should the terrible brute break loose again.

The Professor ran Mahdi into the show, kicking him through the door. He
kicked him into his cage, and ten seconds later was vociferating on his
kerosene box again, strenuously inviting the crowd to roll up, roll up,
roll up, and see the wonderful Missing Link, the only genuine man-monkey
in captivity.

The rush that followed was unprecedented in the history of Professor
Thunder's Museum of Marvels. The people flocked in. Prices were put up to
a shilling all round, but still the people flocked, and Letitia took
nearly a bucketful of silver before public interest was exhausted.

Meanwh