248 THE SIRAND MAGAZINE.

s Offer Bob a biscuit, and, as he hangs his head Ty over the railings in slobbering expectancy, he will i "’('.[11\‘\[\{{"-‘ e “mark time ” regularly with all four fect. Rose, NN the cross-lived Bactrian, lives next door to Bob,

and there 1s some-

thing about the pair, ~— and about their =" wholc cnvironment,

=) that makes one think of them 1n the characters of an area belle and a fascinating guards- man ; particularly as Bob is, I believe, a sort of cousin. The railing between them helps the illusion, just as the clock- tower above them gives a tone to Bob’s military bearing— iy Wttt P Vg R N being dimly sug- R Pl St e L2 S NN WS e AT 7 i) agestive of the Horse

T ; —* 22 (Guards.

Between Bob in full bloom and Bob in a state of moult,

— ke i there 1s a world of

B ~-;:"” ;/: R G BOD THE BACTRIAN. difference. A sorry,

?/?%)?X‘-_ "~ ll-upholstered, scraggy shagbag is Bob in his periodical

”.":fi?/?,}_“‘:: moult. Al his beard—all Tis magnificent frills gone ;

o Samgmeld e a bare, mangy hide with a small patch here and there of

inadhesive hair is all his outward show. Poor Bob feels his out-at-

clbows state keenly, and lies low. He hides all day in the iInnermost recesses of his state apartment under the clock, and only ventures G forth when the gates of the Gardens arc closed, or when Rose 1s

asleep. Sometimes the presence of a piece of biscuit on the floor v of his front garden will tempt him sorcly for hours, 7 till he ventures forth after it, first looking cautiously about from his door to make surc that he is un- observed. \ Neither his periodical scediness of appearance, - however, nor anything else under the sun will prevent Bob demanding his meals. He keeps Sell the keeper up to his work. If at any time it should occur to him that business in biscuits is becoming slack, or that another meal is due---ncither a rare A contingency—DBob walks to his back door and kicks ;g'., with his fore-feet, like a rude boy. The keeper WU

/

Gl ) : : - Ve Y o

must come then, because Bol’s foot never mmproves s NN\

a door.

- TN W Among Bob’s accoutrements a feared and detested -~ sl place is held by a big Teather muzzle, a thing its wearer ‘K/ /4

regards with mingled feelings. He isn't altogether - sorry when Self proceeds to buckle it on, beeaase it means TGRS that a pleasant walk about the grounds is to cnsue. — but \*\‘5/ bitter, bitter, poor Bol’s lot to walk among human hands e teeming with many buns-—buns shut out for cver by that thing of , leather! He sees the elephants caressed and fud o Jingo and Jung Perchad amble good-humouredly about, swinging their trunks i affable freedom right and left, and collecting many a pleasant morscl 5 while he, the magnificent, the bearded, the