58 WILD BROTHER 



walk right through it without any trouble, while a 

 soap-box would have furnished him with much 

 more comfortable quarters than my packing-case. 



Soon after our arrival a brisk wind came out of 

 the north, and as a protracted sojourn in the under- 

 ground fire retreat offered no attractions to us, we 

 made haste to move out. Bruno was playing in the 

 lap of his oldest sister. They were having a great 

 frolic ; with his long claws the cub was tickling her, 

 while he stood on his hind-legs and tried to kiss her 

 on the chin. The little girl's happy laugh quickly 

 changed to a bitter cry of disappointment when 

 Bruno was taken from her, and she learned that 

 she would lose her playmate and never see him 

 again. It was a sad occasion for all that happy 

 family, and Mrs. Weldon was even more distressed 

 than the others. She told me that, under similar 

 circumstances, she would gladly adopt another 

 bear. 



All the children were sobbing. The bear was the 

 only happy member of the group. He, lucky 

 creature, did not know that he was to be taken 

 away, though a few minutes before the time of 

 parting he had unconsciously kissed Sister Ursula 

 good-bye. Ursula had been sitting on the oilcloth 

 table-top, watching her brothers and sisters, who 

 were crying at the thought of the coming separa- 

 tion and herself feeling a little sad in sympathy. 



