The History and Records of the Elephant Club Part 6

"'Where were you born, Thomas?'

"'Hingland.'

"'What is your business?'

"'My perwession?'

"'Yes.'

"'It's warious. I never dabbled with law, physic, or diwinity.'

"'I asked you what your profession is--not what it isn't.'

"'My perwession now, or vot it used to vos?'

"'Your present profession, of course.'

"'Vell--nuthin'.'

"'Well, what was your profession in the past?'

"'Vot do you vant to know for?'

"'I shall answer no questions; but you must. Now tell me what your past profession was.'

[Ill.u.s.tration]

"'Dogs.'

"'Are you a dog-fancier?'

"'Poss'bly; I fancies dogs.'

"'What breed of dogs do you fancy?'

"'Them as I gets in Jersey.'

"'What do you do with the dogs that you get there?'

"'I vouldn't go into the business if I vos in your sitivation. It don't pay any more, 'cause there's so many coves as has inwested. I left 'cause it vos hoverdid.'

"'I hadn't the slightest intention of going into the business. I asked you for information.'

"'Glad to 'ear you say so. I vos halmost hutterly ruined in it.'

"'Well, what do you do with the dogs?'

"'I doesn't follow the perwession no more.'

"'I asked you what you did with the dogs you picked up in New Jersey.'

"'They muzzles dogs now more than they did vonce.'

"'Tell me what you did with the dogs.'

"'If you nab a cove for gettin' drunk vot do they do vith 'im?'

"'Are you going to answer my question?'

"'Vill they let me off if I tell vere I got the liquor?'

"'Look here, Thomas, answer my question.'

"'Vot do they do vith the coves as sells?'

"'I shan't trifle with you any longer. If you don't tell me what you do with the dogs, I shall enter a charge of vagrancy against you.'

"'Vell, I didn't sell 'em for sa.s.sengers.'

"'What did you sell them for?'

"'I didn't sell 'em.'

"'How did you dispose of them?'

"'Is old Keene varden of the penitentiary now?'

"'Tell me, now, what you did with the dogs.'

"'I took 'em to the dog pound.'

"'What did you do with them there?'

"'Vy, doesn't they muzzle cats the same as dogs?'

"'Look here, Thomas, you must answer my question without equivocation. I want to understand the details of this dog-business. What did you do with them at the dog-pound?'

"'For hevery dog as ve takes to the pound ve gets an 'arf a slum.'

"'Then it seems you caught your dogs in New Jersey, brought them to the New York dog-pound, and claimed for your philanthropic exertions the reward of a half a dollar, offered by ordinance for every dog caught within the limits of New York?'

"'Vell, if you'd been born into the perwession, you couldn't have understood its vays better.'

"'You are a sweet subject, certainly.'

"'Des'say.'

"'Are you not ashamed of yourself, to be found lying drunk in door-ways?'