JAiL STABED A
man WiTH A
PiTCHFORK
Sherman the
WiLD animal
captured iN AFRiCA
Herman the
one FiNGERED TATOOD
wild man Verman
the savage TATOOD
wild BoY talks
only iN HiS NAiTiVE
LANGUAGS. Do NoT
fail to see Duke
the INDiAN dog
also the MiCHiGAN
TRAiNED rats
A heated argument took place between Sam and Penrod,
the point at issue being settled, finally, by the
drawing of straws; whereupon Penrod, with pardonable
self-importance—in the presence of an audience
now increased to nine—slowly painted the
words inspired by the dachshund:
IMPoRTENT Do NoT miss
the SoUTH
AMERiCAN DoG part
alligator.
Sam, Penrod, Herman, and Verman withdrew in considerable
state from non-paying view, and, repairing to the
hay-loft, declared the exhibition open to the public.
Oral proclamation was made by Sam, and then the loitering
multitude was enticed by the seductive strains of a
band; the two partners performing upon combs and paper,
Herman and Verman upon tin pans with sticks.
The effect was immediate. Visitors appeared upon
the stairway and sought admission. Herman and
Verman took position among the exhibits, near the
wall; Sam stood at the entrance, officiating as barker
and ticket-seller; while Penrod, with debonair suavity,
acted as curator, master of ceremonies, and lecturer.
He greeted the first to enter with a courtly bow.
They consisted of Miss Rennsdale and her nursery governess,
and they paid spot cash for their admission.
“Walk in, lay-deeze, walk right in—pray
do not obstruck the passageway,” said Penrod,
in a remarkable voice. “Pray be seated;
there is room for each and all.”
Miss Rennsdale and governess were followed by Mr.
Georgie Bassett and baby sister (which proves the
perfection of Georgie’s character) and six or
seven other neighbourhood children—a most
satisfactory audience, although, subsequent to Miss
Rennsdale and governess, admission was wholly by pin.
“Gen-til-mun and lay-deeze,”
shouted Penrod, “I will first call your at-tain-shon
to our genuine South American dog, part alligator!”
He pointed to the dachshund, and added, in his ordinary
tone, “That’s him.” Straightway
reassuming the character of showman, he bellowed:
“Next, you see Duke, the genuine, full-blooded
Indian dog from the far Western Plains and Rocky Mountains.
Next, the trained Michigan rats, captured way
up there, and trained to jump and run all around the
box at the—at the—at the slightest
pre-text!” He paused, partly to take breath
and partly to enjoy his own surprised discovery that
this phrase was in his vocabulary.
