Passers along the street have caught an occasional glimpse of him through the high gate, walking in the grounds surrounding his house, with the lion at his heels apparently in complete subjection to its master.

A dense thicket runs along the wall on all sides within the enclosure, which, according to local tradition, is alive with rattlesnakes, bred for some strange purpose known only to himself--perhaps to make his isolation more secure.
"He is supposed to have resigned the companionship of men for study and scientific research.

He has no children, and his only servant being a deaf-mute, who is almost an idiot, there is little chance at present of learning anything of his life.

For more than two years nothing has been seen of the mysterious master of the house.

His disappearance would, we think, be a legitimate subject of investigation by the authorities of the town.