“Are you comfortable there?” she asked.
Buster nodded. “Then,” she added, “you must tell me where you came from, and how you escaped those cruel men. I want to hear the whole story. It’s better than a story from a book, and I love story books about bears. Did you ever hear the story of Goldy Locks or the Three Little Bears? No. Then I’ll tell you.”
But she didn’t have time. Just then there was a great commotion outside. Men were shouting and calling, dogs barking, and a great hullabaloo going on under the open window.
“What’s that!” exclaimed the little girl, hopping out of the bed, and running to the window in her bare feet.
Buster could have told her what the noise meant, and for a moment he thought it was his duty to give himself up to keep the little girl from being harmed. Suppose the crowd searching for him should hurt her! He got up, and tried to pull her away from the window, but she pushed him back quickly.
“Go back, Buster!” she cried. “They’re looking for you, but they won’t have you. They mustn’t see you!”
The dogs below were barking. They had tracked Buster to the woodshed, and were now holding their nose up in the air baying loudly. As plain as words they were saying the bear had climbed to the roof of the shed.
The men saw the open window, and immediately a hoarse cry rose. “He’s gone in that window! He’s eating up little Nell! Oh! Oh!”
You could imagine Buster’s emotions when he heard this outcry. To be accused of eating up little Nell was enough to make any self-respecting bear angry. He growled savagely, and started for the window again. But the little girl restrained him once more.
“No, no, Buster, you mustn’t let them see you!” she cried. “Now let me think! What ought I to do? They’ll be here soon. Yes,” glancing out of the window, “they’re climbing up the shed. Oh, Buster, hide under the bed!”