Page:The Young Auctioneers.djvu/125

Rh "He's dancing, sure enough!" cried Andy. "That was a good idea of yours, Matt."

"Keep it up until his keepers come," returned the boy. "Lively, now, Andy, for playing means something."

Andy continued to play, and as the brown bear began to dance more heartily than ever, the people, who a moment before had been so frightened, gathered about and began to laugh.

"That's better than shooting him," remarked one man.

"Indeed, it is," returned another. "Keep it up, young fellow!"

And Andy did keep it up until two keepers appeared, hatless and almost out of breath, and took the bear in charge.

"Doxie would have been all right," one of them explained; "but while he was performing on the square below some mischievous boy threw some pepper in his mouth."

"Yes, and Doxie went after him," added the other. "It's lucky for the boy that he got out of sight, for had Doxie caught him he would have chewed him up."

"I am very thankful that he did not do any further damage," said Matt. "I thought I would have to shoot him," and he exhibited the pistol.