"Every animal would take to its heels, and never come within miles of our shack again," asserted Felix.
"Strikes me it don't seem to have any effect on one animal I know of, and that's our big friend in the hole yonder," Tom declared.
"Perhaps after all he isn't at home," his chum remarked.
"I'm dead sure he is, in spite of the fact that he doesn't show up," said Tom.
"Then grizzlies must be lacking in a musical education, that's all I can say," Felix observed.
"Sorry our efforts to amuse don't seem to be appreciated," Tom went on to observe with a grin. "Shall we try one more? Do you know, I think something inspiring, like 'Dixie' for example, might stir him up. Suppose we give him that, and follow with the 'Star Spangled Banner.' If one of those don't bring results, why something else has got to be done, that's flat."
Felix, entering into the spirit of the occasion, held his gun as though it were a guitar which he was picking; and presently, after a few extravagant motions, broke out in the invigorating strains of the well known Southern song, that in times of old, when the armies of the blue and the gray faced each other in battle array, did so much to inspire the latter to plunge into the fray.
But then, this was not a Southern bear; and at any rate, the music produced no result save to amuse the singers.
"Well, I must say he's a hard customer to please," laughed Tom.
"Or to make mad either," remarked Felix. "Why, after hearing how we murdered that noble tune, I should think any self respecting bear would rush out, foaming at the mouth, and proceed to rub the assassins in the dust. He just goes on snoozing, and paying not the least attention. Shall we give it up, Tom?"