THE BEAR MAKES A JOURNEY 73 



to play with him and be friends. The bear, how- 

 ever, sought no friendship with any of the lower 

 animals; he was a snob in this respect, and held 

 himself quite aloof from all ordinary creatures. 

 Men and women were his associates; all others 

 were as dirt beneath his feet. Brownie resented 

 this attitude when Bruno was in the kitchen ; for 

 this was his domain, and he would brook no top- 

 lofty mannerisms from any unbidden stranger. 

 With a rush and a menacing growl, he would 

 drive the bear into a corner or behind a chair, 

 where Bruno, standing straight up on his hind-legs, 

 with his fore-paws swinging freely in defense, 

 would hurl defiance at his adversary. With his 

 chest expanded and his breath coming forth in 

 explosive gusts as he champed his frothy lips, he 

 seemed twice his natural size and presented to his 

 foe an aspect most forbidding. 



The cub and the spaniel never really came to 

 blows, however, for both, like schoolboys at play, 

 were usually bluffing. If one got serious and meant 

 business, the other generally backed down. Before 

 our outing was over they developed a better under- 

 standing of each other, and, though they never 

 became loving friends, they called a truce and 

 ceased all annoying practices. 



One morning while we were at breakfast, and 

 before the armistice had been declared, Brownie 



