buster had been growing rapidly all this time, and instead of being a little cub he was nearly as tall as his mother and as broad as a newfoundland dog. a few months had made a tremendous difference in his size and strength.
but he was hardly aware of this change. he still thought of himself as a little bear, but had loup the lynx seen him now it is doubtful if he would have been so free to attack him. loup had a wholesome respect for a full grown bear. it was only the young cubs that he liked to tackle and eat.
but if buster wasn’t aware of his growing size and strength his two captors were. that was why they kept him chained up at night and always carried a long pointed pole when they took him out on the street. they were afraid that some day buster would realize his strength, and then all would be up with their control of him.
[56]the day came, however, when buster suddenly found that his muscles were powerful and his strength greater than that of his masters. they had been traveling all day from one small town to another, gathering in a few pennies here and there, and resting by the way-side whenever opportunity offered. it was a hot day, and the road was dusty and rough.
when they came to a small brook the sight of the cool, sweet water brought to buster’s mind pictures of the broad river that ran in front of the cave where he was born. a great desire to plunge in the stream and wallow in the cool water seized him. with this idea in mind he quickened his pace, and started down the embankment.
a sudden jerk of the chain around his neck brought him to his senses, but with an angry toss of the head he continued on, dragging the man behind him. in vain the man tugged at the chain, shouting to his companion, who came up and began prodding buster with the sharp end of the long pole.
but buster wanted to get in the brook. nothing in all his life had ever appealed so much to him. the dust and dirt in his mouth, ears and nose irritated him. instead of stopping[57] he slapped at the pole and continued on his way.
then something happened that aroused him to fury. the man gave him such a vicious jab with the sharpened pole that it made him grunt and squeal. heretofore such cruel treatment had always cowered buster, but it had an opposite effect on him now. it aroused his fury.
with a quick, lightening-like stroke he grasped the pole in his two paws, and before either of his captors could recover from their surprise he snapped it in two. it was all done so quickly that even buster was surprised.
seeing the instrument of his torture lying broken on the ground, buster smiled, and leered at the men. something in their eyes attracted his attention. it was fear! buster read it as clearly as if it had been printed there in large letters.
his captors were afraid of him! they had lost their pointed pole, and thus disarmed they were no longer able to torment. buster was the master of the situation. a great feeling of exultation swelled up in him. his eyes gleamed and flashed.
then with a roar he turned on the one holding the chain and struck savagely at him. what happened filled buster with glee. the[58] man dropped the chain and fled with cries of fright. buster pursued a few yards, and then sat down on his haunches and laughed.
“ho! ho! they’re afraid of me!” he said. “i won’t have to be their slave any more! all i’ve got to do is to growl at them, and strike them!”
he got up and strutted around. he was a free bear once more. never more would he be a captive. he waddled down to the brook and plunged into the cool water. he washed and drank and gurgled to his heart’s content. once or twice his captors approached, and tried to coax him out, but he turned on them with a snarl and made them run away again.
then they disappeared entirely, and buster was left alone to enjoy his bath. but his freedom wasn’t to last for long, although he didn’t know it at the time.
now as it happened there was a circus in the town a few miles back, and his two masters who cared more about the money value of buster than anything else, decided that it was a good chance to make a bargain. they knew that they would never be able to control their half-grown bear once he had discovered his strength and power. he was henceforth useless for their work.
[59]but a circus was different. buster would be valuable in the circus either as a trick animal or as a dangerous man-eating creature that had to be kept caged all the time. people would pay money to view a bear that no man could tame. of course, buster was no such wild animal, and he had no intention of killing any one, but the fact that he had broken away from captivity and refused to be captured again furnished the foundation for a story that he was a wild, desperate animal that could not be tamed.
buster was lying on the grass near the brook, enjoying a quiet snooze, when he was startled by the appearance of half a dozen men armed with sticks and pitchforks. he raised his head and looked mildly at them. behind walked the two men who had cruelly tormented him.
“there he is!” shouted one. “look out for him, or he’ll jump on you!”
buster growled when he heard that familiar voice, and rose on his two hind legs to face the approaching crowd. some of them stopped and refused to go any further; but two or three approached warily. they were armed with clubs and pitchforks, but one of them carried a long rope looped over an arm. buster didn’t know what this was for, and he[60] turned his attention to the men with the clubs.
he growled and stepped toward them. they retreated a few steps—all except the man with the rope. he seemed cool and unafraid. buster eyed him curiously when he raised an arm and twirled the rope over his head. he even watched the rope circle in the air and come toward him.
it was not until the rope looped over his head and settled on his shoulders that he understood; but it was too late then. the man jerked it, and buster felt something around his neck that choked him almost to death. he tore at it with his paws, but before he could rip it off another from behind caught him.
buster fought fiercely for a few moments, but when the men armed with pointed sticks and clubs ran in and began prodding him sharply every time he tore at the rope he began to grow afraid again. he was no match for all these men, especially when his neck was being squeezed so that he could barely draw a decent breath.
when he quieted down, the men stopped prodding him, and buster soon found that it didn’t pay to fight against such heavy odds. only when his former captors came near him did he growl and show signs of anger.
[61]buster was led back a few miles and placed in a cage with iron bars. there was plenty of food and water in the cage, and he was glad to get inside with the ropes off his neck. buster had joined the circus!
but would his new life be happier than the old? had he jumped from the frying-pan into the fire, or were there days ahead when he could enjoy life once more without the fear of being beaten for every little mistake? he didn’t know, but he slept soundly and peacefully that night even if he was a prisoner in an iron cage.
what happened to him in the circus will form part of the next story, called buster’s first public appearance.
