And _that_, let me
tell you, was never good for the enemy!"
"Why?" demanded the Babe.
But Uncle Andy only eyed him scornfully. "When Stripes, quite civilly,
looked at the bear, and then proceeded to smell around under the
juniper bush for that bird's nest, which didn't seem to be there, the
bear was much puzzled. He put out his paw again--and again drew it
back.
"Then he said 'Wah!' quite loud and sharp, to see if that would
frighten the imperturbable stranger. But Stripes didn't seem to mind
noises like that. His bright, intelligent eyes were on the bear all
the time, you know, though he seemed to be so busy hunting for that
bird's nest.
"'Pooh!' said the bear to himself, 'he's just plain idiot, that's
what's the matter with him. I'll eat him, anyway!' and he bounced
forward, with paw uplifted, intending to gather Stripes as he would a
fat cricket."
Here Uncle Andy was so inconsiderate as to pause and relight his pipe.
The Babe clutched his arm.
"Well," he went on presently, "just at this moment Stripes made as if
he was going to run away, after all. He whisked round and jumped about
two feet, and his fine tail flew up over his back, and in that very
instant the bear thought the whole side of the hill had struck him in
the face.
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