heavy wardrobe that stood in the room, I swung myself up, clambered
along the top, sprang up and down over chairs and tables, raced around
the room with huge strides and jumps, and finally wound up my
performances by rushing at the astonished Coriander, and, beating my
breast, gave a terrific howl, that fairly made the old man quail as he
writhed in his chair. I had not been practicing for nothing, evidently.
Coriander was actually frightened.

"'What does this mean,' he gasped, with some rage mingled with his
perturbation.

"'I am the live gorilla from the wilds of Africa,' said I. 'Give me my
skin that arrived by the _Gooroo_ from Zanzibar, and I will scare
this city out of its senses when the menagerie opens, after a brief
delay on account of the difficulty of preparing for the enormous
additions, which a discriminating public will be delighted to see.'

"Old Coriander embraced me with tears in his eyes, declaring that I was
a real genius, and was born to the show business.

"'But,' said I, 'though I am poor and need the money which you will pay
me, I have one other condition, and that is that you shall give me your
daughter's hand if I succeed.'

"The old man was rather taken aback at this, and flatly refused at
first; and we wrangled over the matter for two or three days, but,
after seeing me in the skin of the gorilla, and go through my antics
and performances, he reluctantly gave in and agreed that after one year
of gorilla life in his service, I should have the happiness of marrying
Clara. He only stipulated that I should not hereafter tell anybody of