88 WILD BROTHER 
My cousin kindly offered to take a hand in the 
affair. In order that the accumulation of food on 
the bear’s face might be seen plainly in the photo- 
graph, I had put some dry flour into his breakfast. 
This touch of dingy whiteness gave him such a ludi- 
crous aspect that I laughed in spite of myself, 
though I knew full well that it would add to the 
difficult task ahead of us. 
Bruno had eaten his breakfast in the box-stall 
out in the cow-barn. Having finished his repast, 
without any further preliminaries he took up his 
position in one corner of the stall, where he could 
be safe from any attack in the rear. He seemed to 
know that there was trouble brewing, and the ex- 
pression on his face conveyed the idea that he was 
ready and eager for it. I suggested to my cousin 
that he take the sponge, advance toward the cor- 
ner, and make as if he were going to wash the bear’s 
face. I would stand by with the camera, and if any- 
thing unusual happened, I would take a picture 
OF tt, 
As we were planning the attack, Bruno stood up 
on his hind-legs, put his back against the wall, and 
thrust his paws out in front of him like a_prize- 
fighter awaiting the call for action. But my cousin 
was n’t particularly anxious to begin. “I may not 
know much about photography,” he said, “but I 
must confess that I have no knowledge whatever 
