of it. Must
think we want to be all night fixin' this cage for our panther! If you
ask me to go and see what time it is again, Herman, I'm a-goin' to take
back about askin' mamma at five o'clock, and THEN where'll you be?"

"Well, it seem like mighty long aft'noon to me," Herman sighed. "I jes'
like to know what time it is gettin' to be now!"

"Look out!" Penrod warned him. "You heard what I was just tellin' you
about how I'd take back--"

"Nemmine," Herman said hurriedly. "I wasn' astin' you. I jes' sayin'
sump'm' kind o' to myse'f like."

CHAPTER XIV. CAMERA WORK IN THE JUNGLE

The completed cage, with Gipsy behind the bars, framed a spectacle
sufficiently thrilling and panther-like. Gipsy raved, "spat", struck
virulently at taunting fingers, turned on his wailing siren for minutes
at a time, and he gave his imitation of a dromedary almost continuously.
These phenomena could be intensified in picturesqueness, the boys
discovered, by rocking the cage a little, tapping it with a hammer,
or raking the bars with a stick. Altogether, Gipsy was having a lively
afternoon.

There came a vigorous rapping on the alley door of the stable, and
Verman was admitted.

"Yay, Verman!" cried Sam Williams. "Come and look at our good ole
panther!"

Another curiosity, however, claimed Verman's attention. His eyes opened
wide, and he pointed at Herman's legs.

"Wha' ma' oo? Mammy hay oo hip ap hoe-woob."

"Mammy tell ME git 'at stove-wood?" Herman interpreted resentfully.
"How'm I go' git 'at stove-wood when my britches down bottom 'at
cistern, I like you answer ME please? You shet 'at do' behime you!"

Verman complied, and again pointing to his brother's legs, requested to
be enlightened.

"Sin' I tole you once they down bottom 'at cistern," Herman shouted,
much exasperated. "You wan' know how come so, you ast Sam Williams. He
say thishere cat tuck an' th'owed 'em down there!"

Sam, who was busy rocking the cage, remained cheerfully absorbed in that
occupation.

"Come look at our good ole panther, Verman," he called. "I'll get this
circus-cage rockin' right good, an' then--"

"Wait a minute," said Penrod; "I got sumpthing I got to think about.
Quit rockin' it! I guess I got a right to think about sumpthing without
havin' to go deaf, haven't I?"

Having obtained the quiet so plaintively requested, he knit his brow and
gazed intently upon Verman, then upon Herman, then upon Gipsy. Evidently
his idea was fermenting