t to the hotel
office, and he was soon transferring his daughter's message down this.

Meanwhile Mr. Sneed, coming out of his room from the lower end of the
hall, encountered the beast, and turned back with a yell. He nearly
collided with Mr. Towne, who was at that moment coming out of his room,
faultlessly attired, even to a heavy walking stick.

"Look out!" cried Mr. Sneed, racing along.

"What is it?" asked Mr. Towne.

"A bear. Look out! Here he comes!"

And, in fact, the bear was shuffling down the hall, his head lolling
from side to side, and his red tongue hanging out.

Either Mr. Towne did not hear what Mr. Sneed said, or he was so
surprised that he did not think to run, for he stood there and, a moment
later, the big beast confronted him. Stretching out his paw the animal
took from the nerveless hands of the actor the heavy walking stick, and,
shouldering it, began to march around in a circle.

Then the hotel proprietor, having been alarmed by Mr. DeVere, came up on
the run. As soon as he saw the bear marching around he broke into a
laugh.

"That's a trained bear!" he exclaimed. "It belongs to that Italian who
stopped here last night. I made him chain the brute out in the wagon
shed, but I guess he got loose. That bear won't hurt you. I've seen him
before. Tony, the Italian who owns him, often stops here with him when
he's traveling around giving exhibitions. He's real gentle. Down,
Bruno!" commanded the hotel man, and the bear, with a grunt, dropped on
all fours.

Alice, hearing this talk, opened her door, and then called to Ruth that
there was no danger. Mr. Sneed was induced to return, and when Tony
himself came to get his escaped pet Mr. Towne's cane was returned to
him. The bear had taken it for the pole he was used to performing with.

"You want to chain your bear up tighter, Tony," chided the hotel man as
the Italian led Bruno away.

"Ah, yes. Bruno, he ees a very bad-a-de bear! I wheep heem for dese."

"Oh, don't!" pleaded Alice. "He didn't mean anything wrong."

"No, mees, but he very bad, just-a de same. He make-a you to be
a-skeert."

"Oh, it's all over now," declared Ruth, who ventured out, seeing that
the bear was in leash. "But I _was_ frightened for a moment."

"I don't blame you," said Paul, as he heard what had happened. "Rather
an unusual morning caller, Ruth."

"Say! I've got an idea!" cried Mr. Pertell, who had come out by this
time. "We'll have a film with the bear in it.