When he returned he found that a crowd had gathered and the Italian was passing around the hat. While Sam and Dick contributed several cents, Tom gave the bear one bun and divided the other between the two monkeys.
"Cheep! cheep!" went the monkeys, as if highly pleased.
"You're right, they are cheap," grinned Tom. "Hope you like the flavor."
The monkeys began to eat ravenously, for they were nearly starved. But they had not swallowed many mouthfuls before they noticed something wrong. Then one threw his bun at Tom in a rage. A second later the other monkey leaped back on the bear's head and began to dance and scratch wildly, in the meanwhile scattering the bun crumbs in all directions.
"Hi! hi! whata you do to de monks?" demanded the Italian. "You letta de monks alone!"
"I'm not touching the monks," replied Tom, and slipped out of sight in the crowd.
By this time the bear had swallowed the larger portion of the bun given to him. It was the more peppery of the two, and it brought tears to the beast's eyes. With a roar of rage he, turned and shook the monkey from his head and leaped away from his keeper, dragging his chain after him.
The monkeys were evidently not used to seeing the bear in an ugly mood, and at once they sought safety by getting out of his reach. One leaped into a tree and ran like a cat to the top, while the second pounced on the shoulder of an elderly damsel, who looked exactly what she was, a hot-tempered old maid.
"Oh, dear!" screamed the elderly damsel. "Take the horrid thing off! Take it off this minute!"
"Come here, Jocko!" roared the Italian. "Come, Jocko!" and he held out his hands.