The Missing Link

being conducted in a small shop, and owing nothing of its popularity to expensive advertisments in the "Amusements"

ishing vindication of the Darwinian hypothesis about which the Professor discoursed so fluently in his three minutes' lecture before the cage. It had

of Nickie's duty to fill such visitors with a proper respect for Missing Links, but ninety-nine out of every hundred accepted Mahdi i

y thirsty. Probably no Missing Link since the day when man began to emerge from the

Professor Thunder, and precisely measured by Madame Marve. It was this pr

due for two hours. Nicholas Crips was not satisfied

the Darwinian hypothesis, and

man, drowsed in his chair. Madame Marve was sleeping, too, and

the great heat. Professor Thunder entered, mopping hi

Professor, or I resign. There you are, a drink, or my resign

which he passed through to Mr. Crips. Nickie seized it greedily, raised it to his l

sing Link, "Water! You h

ter on a day like this,

gn. Let me out of

d the baffled Link pushed his face through the bars and poured a t

Living Skeleton pitifully. "I was just a-dreamin' iv pickled pi

e from thirst while that cow of a man swills his fill and

t she might sleep peacefully, broke rules and regula

' tear the place up they wouldn't give me hal

e Marve were making their usual dinner of cold boiled leg of mutton,

at the back of his cage. He had a small lassoo made of cord, and wa

n way, but he persisted, and eventually success crowned hi

e, Mahdi," cried Madame

ill be here i

his prize. A long hairy arm reached out and clutched it, and hastily hid the object in the s

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

shapen animal, with a head half-human half-monkey, with a body like that of an ourang-outang and long, flapping feet. The brute

but stood right in his way, staring at him with eye frantic with terror. Fear had struck her motionl

don' know you, an' excuse me; I don' wanter hear you sing."

izzly shape reflected in this, and after surveying it in stupid surprise f

e, his quaint feet, like huge hands, flopping in the dust. Mahdi's make-up did Professor Thunder great credit-it was grotesquely inhuman. The

rse backed in terror before the monster, reared,

ious of the sensation he was creating

Aaronstein, throwing out his palms in a gestu

eating-house the Link encountered two men eating fried steak and onions. They beheld him with indescribable emotion, glared for a moment and fled. A girl

the horror, uttered a piercing scream, and dashed up the narrow stairs. Nickie went up the stairs after her, anxious to explain. The horrified people pressing at the front door and the windows saw him pass out of sight. There was now a large, excited crow

or Thunder dashed thro

in an agitated

. "Has anyone seen a M

in'

s explaine

, pointing to the eating-house. "He's ate er g

stairs," cried

out on to the roof of the verandah. He was dancing clumsily on the corrugated iron, and gesticulating, with his long, shaggy hands. Ni

rightful sovereign. Bow down t' ye ri'ful sovereign, ye

roke into a vain-glorious song, and caper

he baffled villain in the play. "Ten thousand

ded his courage. He descended upon Mahdi, he seized him. The crowd cheered vociferously. Professor Thunder kicked the Missing Li

he 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 o

ngly in imminent danger of falling on his nose, the Professor furious, two wild policemen wit

d ten seconds later was vociferating on his kerosene box again, strenuously inviting the crowd to ro

vels. The people flocked in. Prices were put up to a shilling all round, but still the peopl

made him grin and howl and caper for the edification of the

nkey from Thunder's Museum of Marvels, and the Missing Link demanded an increase of salary and a double allo