Of course, Buster wasn’t quite so sure of this, but he had no way to express his doubts. He heard the little girl running down the stairs, and then for a long time he was left alone. It was a queer situation for him. He walked across the room, and the floor squeaked with every tread. Then he looked out of the window and immediately ducked his head, for there was a man and dog below on guard.
He waited a long time for the little girl to return, and then grew restless. He tried the door, and finding it unlocked opened it and stuck his head out. All was quiet in the house. He couldn’t hear any one around.
A great fear that something had happened to the little girl suddenly made him very anxious. Perhaps the men and dogs had captured her, and were holding her because she had hid him in her bed-room. This thought made him angry. If she was in trouble and needed him, he would go to her assistance.
Buster closed the door softly behind him and started down the stairs. Now that he was going to the little girl’s assistance he wasn’t afraid of anything. He hadn’t been afraid to attack all the animals in the big cage when Chiquita was in danger. Then why should he be afraid now!
Down, down the stairs he clumped, his great weight making each step squeak and groan. Nobody was in the hall below, and the whole house seemed quiet and deserted. Had the men taken the little girl away with them? Buster uttered an angry growl and took another step down.
Then directly in front of him appeared a man. He stepped out of a doorway so suddenly that both bear and man were surprised. Buster recognized him immediately as the gentleman who held the little girl’s hands that day she fed him a stick of candy.
The man started suddenly, stared at the bear on the stairs, and backed slowly away. “Nell! Nell!” he called. “Keep away! Go back! The bear is in the house! Run for your life and tell the men!”
But little Nell, instead of running away, pushed past her father and surprised him so that he nearly dropped down with fright. She ran straight up to Buster and hugged him. Then laughing she turned to her father.
“It’s only Buster, and he wouldn’t hurt me. Why, he’s been in my bed-room all the time!”
What they decided to do with Buster after that will be told in the next story.