's sure up to Smithy to get
busy, and make up with his old chum again. Here's his chance to win
immortal glory, and the thanks of the whole Silver Fox Patrol as well.
Smithy, it's your move."

The delicate boy was pale before, but he turned even whiter now, as he
looked in the direction of Thad.

"Perhaps I _might_ coax him to be good; and get a chance to whip the end
of that long chain around a tree," he said, in a voice he tried in vain
to keep from trembling.

Thad hardly knew what to say. He understood that animals never forget an
enemy, or one who has been good to them. An elephant in captivity has
been known to bear a grudge for several years, until a good chance came
to pay his debt.

Now Smithy said he had fed the traveling bear at the time it danced for
his amusement. Doubtless, then, it might recollect him, and would be
less inclined to show any vicious temper if he approached, than should a
stranger try to take hold of the trailing chain.

"You said you had fed him, didn't you, Smithy?" he asked.

"Yes, with half a loaf of good bread; and I would have gone after more
only just at that minute my mother happened to come to the window, and
became so frightened at seeing me near the bear, she called to me to
come in the house. But I shook hands with him before I went," the last
proudly, as though he wanted the boys to know he was not the milksop
they sometimes had imagined in the past.

"And do you think he would remember you?" continued Thad, only half
convinced that he ought to let the other take the risk; though there
really seemed no other way out of the difficulty that promised one-half
as good chances.

"Oh! I'm sure he would, he acted so very friendly. Please let me try
it, Thad. I really want to; and see, I'm not afraid at all; only I do
wish I had my shoes on, for the hard ground hurts my feet. I never went
barefooted before in all my life."

"Oh! let him try the trick, Thad," called out Davy; "I'm getting cold,
too. This here private box is full of draughts you see; and my attire is
so very airy. Blankets are what I want most right now. Give Smithy a
chance to show what he can do in the wild beast taming line."

"It'll sure be the making of him," echoed Step-hen cheerfully, from his
perch.

"But perhaps a quarter of a loaf would do just as well; I'd try it on
him if I was you, Smithy," suggested Giraffe; who groaned to think of
all that good food being wasted on a miserable traveling show