ee was ready, the man by the fire accepted of a cup, and
thanked Step-hen warmly. Davy carried another cup to the bear keeper,
who took it with some strange words, which the boy supposed were meant
to express his gratitude.

And after that, to the immense delight of Giraffe, they prepared to
depart. The bear was made to shake hands with each scout, and in his odd
fashion express his thanks for the attention that had been given him.
But Giraffe declined the honor.

"It's all right for you fellows," he grumbled, when they joked him on
his timidity; "he likes you, and wouldn't do anything to hurt you; but
it's different with me, you see. The old rascal's taken a dislike to me,
and I'd be afraid he'd give me a sneaky bite, or claw me. Just say
good-bye for me, and a good riddance."

Thad was afraid the man who could talk such good English might show some
signs of being offended by these frank expressions of Giraffe's views;
but instead he laughed quite heartily, as though rather tickled.

"A bear can eat a big amount of stuff in a day," he remarked, "and I
don't blame your friend for being afraid he'd clean you out, if he
stayed longer. Good-bye, boys. Hope you enjoy your outing to the limit;
and that the time may come when I can return that favor of a bully cup
of coffee."

With that they were off, the bear growling one minute, as it struggled
with its chain, and looked back; and then whimpering in its joy at
seeing a familiar face again.

"See, he knows he'll miss the good feeds he's had since he dropped in on
us," remarked Davy.

"You're away off there, Davy," declared Giraffe, drawing a big sigh;
"he's ugly just because he can't get a bite at me. He's been waiting all
the time to do that, and he shows how mad he is to be taken away without
a chance. Perhaps I'll sleep easier to-night, boys. It's an awful thing
to lie awake there in a tent, and know a revengeful bear is trying to
break his chain only twenty feet away, meaning to take a nip at you."

But the others only laughed at Giraffe, as the shadowy figures of men
and bear were swallowed up in the dense darkness of the forest.

Still, every one was glad the bear had gone. They might have laughed at
some of his antics; but his little eyes looked treacherous; and Thad had
given orders that nobody should be too familiar with the beast while he
honored them with his company.

"That one man was sure a foreign chap," remarked Allan; "but the other
talked as goo