reeck," protested the Italian. "Mika da nica da
bear, da gooda da bear."

"I guess he's like an Indian, only good when he's dead," said the hotel
man. "I'm off to get my gun."

Noddy watched the results of his joke with mixed feelings. He had not
meant it to go as far as this. He looked about him apprehensively, but
everybody was too frightened to notice him.

Suddenly the bear headed straight for Noddy. Perhaps his red head was a
shining mark or perhaps the creature recollected the prank-playing youth
as the one who had given him the peppered bun. At any rate he charged
straight after the lad, who fled for his life.

"Help!" he called as he ran. "Help, help!"

"Noddy's getting a dose of his own medicine," cried Jack to Billy.

"But we don't want to let the bear get him," protested Billy.

"Of course not, but he'll beat the bear into the hotel, see if he
doesn't."

The hotel front door was evidently Noddy's objective point. It appeared
he would reach it first, but suddenly he tripped on a croquet hoop and
went sprawling. He was up in a minute, but the bear had gained on him.
As he rushed up the steps it was only a few inches behind him.

Noddy gave a wild yell and took the steps in three jumps. The next
second he was at the door and swinging it shut with all his might. But
just then an astonishing thing happened.

Just as Noddy swung the door shut the bear made a leap. The result
surprised Noddy as much as Bruin.

The edge of the door caught the big creature's neck and held him as fast
as if he had been caught in a dead-fall. He was gripped as in a vise
between the door and the frame. But poor Noddy was in the position of
the man who caught the wild cat.

He didn't know how to let go!

CHAPTER IX.

NODDY AND THE BEAR.

"I've got him!" yelled Noddy. "Help me, somebody!"

"Goodness, Noddy's caught the bear," cried Jack, as he and Billy
streaked across the lawn, followed by the less timid of the guests.

"Hold him tight," shouted some in the crowd.

"Let him go," bawled others.

Perspiring from his efforts, Noddy braced his feet and kept the door
tightly closed on the bear's neck. But the creature's struggles made the
portal groan and creak as if it would be shoved off its hinges.

"Gracious, I can't hold it much longer. Can't somebody hit him on the
head with a club?"

The negro bell boys and clerk, together with several of the guests who
had been in the lobby, began to come back, now th