“You’re a naughty dog, and you shan’t have a bit of supper,” threatened Case.
Captain Joe got down from his elevated position and walked with great dignity toward the fringe of trees which grew along the east shore of the stream.
“He wants us to follow him,” Clay declared, “but how are we going to do it? The wild men of Borneo have us beaten to a frazzle when it comes to clothes.”
“It seems as if we might get one good suit out of this mess,” Clay said. “Who’ll be the man to try?”
“It seems to me that we all ought to be getting a move on,” said Jule. “For all we know, Alex may be having all kinds of trouble. We appear to be children of fortune this trip! Everything comes our way—in a horn!”
It was finally agreed that Jule should remain at the Esmeralda, and that the others should follow the dog, who was still hanging around, in the hope that some of the boys might follow him.
When they reached the fringe of trees which stood along the shore of the river, Clay paused and doubled up with laughter.
Alex was in sight—up a tree.
There was a bear at the foot of the tree—a bear that evidently thought he had a cinch on the boy—a Colorado mountain bear, small but fierce. And Alex was playing a mouth organ with all the energy he possessed for the benefit of the bear!
The boys laughed until their sides ached before attempting any interference. Only for the fact that the wind was blowing from the east, while the place where the clothes had been deposited was to the west of that point, the noise of Alex’s shouting for assistance and the music of the organ might have been heard from the first.