Part 7 (2/2)
Now, however, an angry roar reminded them of him. The beast was coming back across the lawn, roaring and showing his teeth.
”Look out for the bear!”
”Get a gun, quick.”
”Oh, he'll hug me,” this last from the old maid, were some of the cries which the crowd sent up.
”He's mad, shoot him!” cried somebody. The Italian set up a howl of protest.
”No, no, no shoota heem. Mika da gooda da bear. No shoota heem.”
”If you don't want him shot, catch him and get out of here. You'll have my hotel turned into a sanitarium for nervous wrecks the first thing you know,” cried the proprietor of the place.
”Somebody playa da treeck,” protested the Italian. ”Mika da nica da bear, da gooda da bear.”
”I guess he's like an Indian, only good when he's dead,” said the hotel man. ”I'm off to get my gun.”
Noddy watched the results of his joke with mixed feelings. He had not meant it to go as far as this. He looked about him apprehensively, but everybody was too frightened to notice him.
Suddenly the bear headed straight for Noddy. Perhaps his red head was a s.h.i.+ning mark or perhaps the creature recollected the prank-playing youth as the one who had given him the peppered bun. At any rate he charged straight after the lad, who fled for his life.
”Help!” he called as he ran. ”Help, help!”
”Noddy's getting a dose of his own medicine,” cried Jack to Billy.
”But we don't want to let the bear get him,” protested Billy.
”Of course not, but he'll beat the bear into the hotel, see if he doesn't.”
The hotel front door was evidently Noddy's objective point. It appeared he would reach it first, but suddenly he tripped on a croquet hoop and went sprawling. He was up in a minute, but the bear had gained on him.
As he rushed up the steps it was only a few inches behind him.
Noddy gave a wild yell and took the steps in three jumps. The next second he was at the door and swinging it shut with all his might. But just then an astonis.h.i.+ng thing happened.
Just as Noddy swung the door shut the bear made a leap. The result surprised Noddy as much as Bruin.
The edge of the door caught the big creature's neck and held him as fast as if he had been caught in a dead-fall. He was gripped as in a vise between the door and the frame. But poor Noddy was in the position of the man who caught the wild cat.
He didn't know how to let go!
CHAPTER IX.
NODDY AND THE BEAR.
”I've got him!” yelled Noddy. ”Help me, somebody!”
”Goodness, Noddy's caught the bear,” cried Jack, as he and Billy streaked across the lawn, followed by the less timid of the guests.
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