rtain the good country people with his
bear in return for breakfast for both man and beast.

The offer was promptly accepted and Pedro's companion was made to
shoulder his make-believe gun and march up and down. Then he was given
an egg to suck, and he carefully nicked a little piece in one end, and
licked out the delicious contents. This was the trick that he liked
best of all.

Finally he got down on all fours and was horse for three children for
several minutes. They would sit astride his back, with their small
hands tightly clasping the bear's long, glossy hair, while Pedro slowly
led him up and down.

At last the breakfast was set before them and the poor bear, who had
done all the work, was glad of his share of hot biscuit and maple syrup.

When they were upon the road again, Pedro began teaching the bear new
tricks, for the few that he already knew were not enough to satisfy his
new master, who thought he saw considerable money in him.

Whenever they came to a tree that was suitable for climbing, he would
lead Black Bruin up to it, and shout "climb," at the same time
thrusting his pointed stick viciously into the bear's hinder parts.

At first, the bear remonstrated and growled, but he got such a drubbing
and jabbing that he went whining up the tree, and when he would not
come down Pedro threw stones at him, until he was glad to escape the
missiles by obeying.

Much practice of this trick soon made the bear a great tree-climber,
and he would scratch up the tree at his best pace, at the slightest
sign from the Italian.

Next Pedro bought a bottle of ginger pop, which he sweetened
considerably to make it even more palatable for the bear, and then
slowly turned out a part of the contents for him to lick up. When this
had been done, he put in the cork very slightly and held it up for the
bear to lick. Of course the cork soon came out and more of the
contents was spilled for the bear to drink. In this way by degrees he
taught the brute that the cork must first come out and then there was
sweet within.

When the trick was finally mastered, the bear would stand upon his hind
legs, take a bottle of ginger pop from a man's hand, hold it between
his paws, pull out the cork with his teeth, and deliberately drink the
contents.

The performance of this trick got Pedro and the bear all the soda water
and small drinks that they cared for at the country stores and hotels.
Occasionally Pedro would push the cork