130 



SCAMP AND THE FAT WOMAN. 



all in a breath; "we all slept in the room with an alligator, — a 

 free alligator! " 



" And nobody was hurt," added Jack. " That's the funny part 

 of it." 



ShuflBe was a very small eater. A bit of raw beef, the size of a 

 pin-head, fastened to a quill, was given him. This was all he wished 

 for a day, and sometimes he would not eat even that. Old alligators 

 go whole days without food. 



In the spring, when Jack returned to his IN^orthern home, he 

 brought Shuffle with him in a box, a present from the landlady. 



SCAMP AND THE FAT T/OMAN. 



I "WBNT to a funny place yesterday. My master and his sister, 

 with a couple of young friends, went also. He walked up to a 

 window and paid some money, and a man inside gave him four 

 tickets. My master then took me in his arms, and we all went 

 inside the building. 



My master carried me upstairs into a large hall, where there was 

 a great crowd, with many furiify thing'fe to see. The girls all 

 laughed when we got in front of a high box; my master called it 

 a platform. On this box was seated a great, big woman. She was 

 enormously fat. Next to her was a thin man. I heard one of the 



