“What’re you going to do with him?” asked the outlaw.
“Take him back to Chicago with us.”
The outlaws laughed and regarded the boy and the bear with humorous faces. Alex sat down and watched them curiously.
“I don’t see you getting back to Chicago right away,” one of them finally said. “That is, not to-day nor to-morrow.”
“Oh, we’re going down to Cairo first!” Alex grinned.
The two outlaws turned away with a laugh, and as soon as their backs were in view Alex opened the swinging sash of the rear window and motioned for Teddy to leap out.
The bear cub followed instructions, and landed lightly on the after deck. In an instant Alex was through the window and the two sprang into the water and made for the shore.
The outlaws would doubtless have remained unconscious of the escape until the boy and his companion had reached the thicket only that the men on the houseboat shouted and pointed at the bear.
“Look at the menagerie!” one of them cried.
This brought the outlaws to the shore-side of the boat, and directly several harmless bullets whizzed close to the two swimmers.