BRUNO IN BELMONT 89 



on the subject of bears. I '11 take the camera and 

 do the best I can, and you take the sponge and do 

 the washing." 



I finally persuaded him to make a bluff at it 

 anyway, and promised not to let the bear do him 

 any damage while he was making the attempt. 

 With considerable apprehension depicted on his 

 face, he slowly and cautiously advanced until the 

 sponge was only two feet from Bruno's head and 

 just beyond reach of the cub's paws, which were 

 held alert, ready for immediate action. Here for a 

 moment he paused, while the bear, looking him 

 squarely in the eye, held his ground. "Come on, 

 if you dare," his attitude plainly implied. 



Cousin moved a step forward, and nothing hap- 

 pened; another step, and still no trouble. Then 

 came the surprise. The sponge was lowered slowly 

 until it touched the cub's head. Still Bruno made 

 no fuss, but standing quietly in the corner, with the 

 utmost composure allowed himself to be washed 

 without a murmur of complaint. I never quite 

 knew whether it was the punishment of the day 

 before, or the big stick that he saw in my hand, 

 that changed his attitude. At any rate I never 

 had any further trouble about washing his face. 

 As a matter of fact, within a few days he graduated 

 from the wooden trough and ate his meals without 

 any fuss from whatever dish we set before him. 



