SMITHY DID IT.
"Oh! would you look at him waltzing!" cried Giraffe.
"He's turning around and around, like a real dancing bear!" echoed
Step-hen; and then, still feeling a little malicious toward poor Bumpus,
whom he really believed was hiding his precious compass, just to annoy
him, he could not help adding: "he feels so good, because he sees his
dinner all ready for him under the flap of that tent there."
That brought out another whoop from Bumpus, who felt impelled to raise
his head once more, even though it gave him renewed pain.
"Oh! now I know what it all means!"
It was Smithy who uttered this cry, and drew the attention of all his
chums toward the tree where the boy in the borrowed pajamas sat astride
a limb, just like all the rest, and which he had certainly never stopped
to brush off with his handkerchief before occupying, either.
"Have you seen the beast before, Smithy?" asked the scout-master,
ceasing his little racketty waltz; which caused the bear to once more
stand at attention, waiting for the piece of bread that usually came
after he had performed his little trick; and still sniffing hungrily
around this way and that.
"That's what I have, Thad," replied the other, eagerly. "Why he came
past our house only a few days ago, and gave us quite a performance. I
made friends with him too, and the man let me even give him some bread I
brought out."
"Sure he did, and glad in the bargain to have some fellow help keep his
show bear," Allan remarked, half laughing still.
"Hey, Smithy, suppose you climb down right now then, and renew your
acquaintance with the ugly old pirate!" sang out Davy Jones.
"And there's half a loaf of that stale bread wrapped in a newspaper,
left right where you c'n put your hand on it, inside the tent where
Bumpus is kicking his last. You're welcome to feed it to the bear,
Smithy."
It was Step-hen who made this magnificent announcement; how easy it was
to think up things for some one else to do, while he clung to his safe
anchorage up there among the branches of the beech tree.
"Only half a loaf, remember," put in the cautious and always hungry
Giraffe; "we don't want to run short too early in the game; and there's
a lot of meals to be looked after yet."
"Somebody's got to do something, that's sure," remarked Bob White. "This
night air is some cool to a fellow with my warm Southern blood; and I
give you my word, suh, I'm beginning to shiver right now."
"And if we don't think up some way to coax the beast to get out,"
declared Step-hen, gravely; "why, just as like as not he'll eat up
everything we've got, and then go to sleep in our blankets, with us
hanging around here like a lot of ripe plums."
"Let Davy do it," remarked Thad; for that was an expression often used
among the boys, Davy being such a spry chap, and usually so willing.
But he at once set up a determined protest.
"Now, I would, believe me, boys, if I only knew the gentleman, which I
don't, never having been properly introduced. Must have been out of town
when he gave his little show the other day. So I respectfully but firmly
decline the honor you want to pay me. Now, it's sure up to Smithy to get
busy, and make up with his old chum again. Here's his chance to win
immortal glory, and the thanks of the whole Silver Fox Patrol as well.
Smithy, it's your move."
The delicate boy was pale before, but he turned even whiter now, as he
looked in the direction of Thad.
"Perhaps I _might_ coax him to be good; and get a chance to whip the end
of that long chain around a tree," he said, in a voice he tried in vain
to keep from trembling.
Thad hardly knew what to say. He understood that animals never forget an
enemy, or one who has been good to them. An elephant in captivity has
been known to bear a grudge for several years, until a good chance came
to pay his debt.
Now Smithy said he had fed the traveling bear at the time it danced for
his amusement. Doubtless, then, it might recollect him, and would be
less inclined to show any vicious temper if he approached, than should a
stranger try to take hold of the trailing chain.
"You said you had fed him, didn't you, Smithy?" he asked.
"Yes, with half a loaf of good bread; and I would have gone after more
only just at that minute my mother happened to come to the window, and
became so frightened at seeing me near the bear, she called to me to
come in the house. But I shook hands with him before I went," the last
proudly, as though he wanted the boys to know he was not the milksop
they sometimes had imagined in the past.
"And do you think he would remember you?" continued Thad, only half
convinced that he ought to let the other take the risk; though there
really seemed no other way out of the difficulty that promised one-half
as good chances.
"Oh! I'm sure he would, he acted so very friendly. Please let me try
it, Thad. I really want to; and see, I'm not afraid at all; only I do
wish I had my shoes on, for the hard ground hurts my feet. I never went
barefooted before in all my life."
"Oh! let him try the trick, Thad," called out Davy; "I'm getting cold,
too. This here private box is full of draughts you see; and my attire is
so very airy. Blankets are what I want most right now. Give Smithy a
chance to show what he can do in the wild beast taming line."
"It'll sure be the making of him," echoed Step-hen cheerfully, from his
perch.
"But perhaps a quarter of a loaf would do just as well; I'd try it on
him if I was you, Smithy," suggested Giraffe; who groaned to think of
all that good food being wasted on a miserable traveling show bear that
had strayed into camp.
"All right, if you feel confident, Smithy;" said Thad; "but watch him
close; and if he makes a move as if he wanted to grab you, shin out for
the tree again. We'll all stand by, ready to give a yell, so as to scare
him off."
Bumpus was staring at all this amazing procedure. Slowly the fact had
begun to filter through the rather sluggish brain of the fat boy that
after all fate had not decided to offer him as a tempting bait to whet
the appetite of a bear. He even began to pluck up a little bit of hope
that Smithy might succeed in chaining the ugly old terror to a tree,
and thus saving his, Bumpus' life.
When the delicate boy started to scramble down out of his leafy bower
the others tried to encourage him in various ways.
"Good boy, Smithy!" cooed Step-hen.
"You've certainly got more grit than any fellow in the bunch; and I take
off my hat to you, suh!" cried the Southern boy, making a movement with
his hand as if in salute.
"Try the quarter loaf, Smithy; you'll find it just where Step-hen said,
inside the tent where Bumpus is hanging out," Giraffe called.
"Only half-way out," corrected that party; and then ducked his head as
he saw that his voice had attracted the attention of the bear.
So Smithy dropped to the ground. Thad saw that he was fearfully white
about the face, and was half tempted to recall him; but had an idea
Smithy would refuse to obey, now that he had resolved to prove his
valor, which must have been more or less doubted in the past.
The tall, slim boy started walking toward the tent where Bumpus was
confined, unable to go or come, so tightly had he become wedged under
the canvas.
They saw the bear had become greatly interested. Watching the movements
of the boy in the borrowed pajamas he made some sort of pitiful sound
that was not unlike a groan. Evidently mealtimes had been a long ways
apart lately for Bruin; but he seemed to understand that the boy had
gone to secure him something.
The short forelegs began to beat imaginary time, and the bear started to
again tread that queer measure, turning slowly around and around as he
continued to follow out the line of discipline to which he had been
brought up.
He was really begging for something to stay the pangs of hunger.
Meanwhile Smithy, though doubtless shivering like a leaf, had reached
the open flap of the tent. Passing inside his eyes quickly found the
half loaf of bread wrapped in a newspaper. And seizing it he tore the
cover away, after which he once more appeared in view.
As he now advanced, slowly yet eagerly, in the direction of the dancing
bear, he held out the bait, and began to softly call, just as he had
heard one of the two keepers of the bear do:
"Bumpus! Bumpus, good boy! here supper for Bumpus!"
"Hey, quit calling him by my name," said the fat boy, indignation even
making him forget his recent fear.
But Smithy paid not the least attention to him. He was advancing,
repeating the name over and over; and trying the best he knew how to
speak in tones resembling the thick voice of the man who had held the
chain at the time the animal danced for him.
So he presently came close to the bear, which had now ceased dancing,
and was thrusting out his nose toward the coveted bread, while making a
queer noise. Not a fellow among the scouts moved so much as a little
finger. Every eye was glued on the form of Smithy, and doubtless more
than one of them really wondered while thus holding his breath in
suspense, if the starving beast would actually seize upon the boy who
came offering gifts.
"Oh! he took it!" gasped Step-hen.
"And it was the whole of that half loaf too," added Giraffe, with a sigh
of regret.
"The chain, quick! Smithy; there's a small tree right by you that ought
to hold him! That's the way! Hurrah for you, Smithy; he's done it, boys;
and you can drop down now without being afraid," and Thad followed the
words by allowing himself to leave the branches of his tree, landing
softly on the ground.
Loud shouts attested to the delight of the other prisoners, when the
delicate and pampered boy snatched up the end of the long and strong
chain, bringing it around the tree Thad mentioned, and apparently
locking it securely. After which Smithy staggered away from the spot,
and sank down upon the ground, trembling and weak from the great nervous
strain under which he had been laboring.
The shouts turned into cheers, and Smithy's name was given three and a
tiger; so that the racket made even the hungry bear look wonderingly at
the fantastic group that took hold of hands, and danced around the hero
of the hour.