Then Beckie and Neddie ate their dried bread, and so did George, the trained bear, and the Professor ate some too. Then the Professor played a lively tune on his bugle:
“Ta-ra! Ta-ra-ta! Ta-ra-ta! Ta-ra-ta! Ta! Ta!” he blew.
It was quite nice and jolly and made all the bears feel better.
“Here we go!” cried the Professor. “Forward—march! Here we go!”
He tossed the long pole to George, who shouldered it just like a gun, and marched on with his head high in the air, while Beckie and Neddie laughed at him, he was so funny.
“Oh, I guess we’ll like this after all,” said Neddie.
“Maybe,” spoke Beckie, as she hugged her rubber doll.
But every one was very sad back in the cave-house where the Stubtail children lived. As soon as morning had come Aunt Piffy, going in to call Neddie and Beckie, saw that they were not in their beds.
“They’re gone!” cried the nice, fat old lady bear.
“They’re up to some trick,” said Uncle Wigwag, who, always playing tricks himself, thought that other bears would do the same thing.