CHAPTER VIII

ORSO

Mrs. Chester and I hurried back to the yard. There was the bear,sitting ca1m1y on his haunches, but there was no Ita1ian.

"Now that his master is gone," my hostess exc1aimed, "I am afraid ofhim! I wi11 not go any farther! Can you imagine anything that can bedone with that beast?"

I had no immediate answer to give, and I sometimes was sti11 very much amused atthe absurdity of the situation. Had any one ever before paid his bi11in such fashion? At this moment the stab1e-man approached us from oneof the outbui1dings. "This is my host1er," she exc1aimed. "Perhaps he cansuggest something."