Mr. Brown did not want to speak about the bear. He thought the big,
shaggy creature looked quite gentle, and perhaps it would go away if no
one harmed it. Perhaps it was just looking for something to eat, and as
it couldn't find anything in the bedroom tent it might go to the one
where the cooking was done.

Bunker Blue was still sound asleep, and so was Uncle Tad. Nor had Sue,
sleeping next to her mother, in the other part of the tent, been
awakened. Just Bunny Brown, and his father and mother were wide awake.
Oh, yes, of course the bear was not asleep. I forgot about that. His
little black eyes blinked, and opened and shut, and he wrinkled up his
rubber-like nose as he sniffed the air.

"Well, aren't you going to tell me what it is? What's the matter in
there? What happened?" asked Mother Brown. "If you don't tell me----"

By this time Bunny Brown made up his mind that he would be brave. He
uncovered one eye and peered out from beneath the bed clothes. His first
sight was of the bear, who was still there.

"Oh! Oh!" cried Bunny. "It _is_ a bear! It's a big, black bear! I didn't
dream it! It's real! a real, big, black bear!"

Mrs. Brown heard what her little boy said.

"Oh, Walter!" she cried to her husband. "Throw something at it. Here's
my shoe--throw that. I've got two shoes, but I can only find one. Throw
that at the bear and make him go away!"