must keep on growling. I don't care if you don't scratch quite so much,
but you must growl."

The Missing Link pushed his drab muzzle through the bars.

"Keep on growling," he protested. "Excuse me, madame, but I'm damned if I
do unless you give me more beer. I've got a throat like a hot-box."

Old friend of Mr. Nicholas Crips would have recognised those crisp tones
instantly. Nickie the Kid had found his vocation.



CHAPTER VII.

AN UNFORTUNATE MEETING.

NICHOLAS CRIPS entered into formal agreement with Professor Thunder, sole
organiser, director and owner of Thunder's Celebrated Museum of Marvels,
to impersonate Mahdi, the Missing Link, at a salary of thirty-seven and
sixpence a week and keep, Nickie undertaking to observe the Sabbath, to
behave becomingly and in no circumstances to disclose his identity to
persons outside the show.

The clause entailing strict observance of the Sabbath was a wise one from
the Professor's point of view, as a previous Missing Link had taken
advantage of Sunday being an off-day to get unreasonably drunk, in which
state he betrayed the confidence of his employer, and disclosed the most
sacred secrets of the profession.