avoided all strange plants, and ate only those he recognized.

In a short time he came to such thick woods that if it hadn't been for the
deer trail he would have been lost, but he followed Rusty's directions,
and kept strictly to the well-worn path. When he grew tired, he rested by
the wayside, always hiding in the thick bushes, and keeping one eye and
both ears open. There were many strange and wonderful noises in the woods,
and more than once Bumper started up with fright.

But nothing happened to him until he was so far in the woods that he
thought the big rock must be near. He kept a sharp lookout for it. Just
then he heard a noise so different from anything that had startled him
before that he stopped to listen. It seemed as if some one was in great
pain, and needed help.

Now Bumper was very tender-hearted, and any one in distress made him very
sad. So instead of keeping on the trail, he wandered off to find out who
was moaning so loudly.

And what he beheld was enough to make any rabbit laugh! It was Buster the
Bear fast asleep, snoring as if he enjoyed it. Bumper was frightened at
first by the sight of the big, shaggy head and body, but when he recalled
Rusty's words, and saw that Buster was sleeping, he stopped and laughed.
It was a sight to make any one laugh.

Buster's big, shaggy body rose and fell with every breath, and each time a
loud snore came from his half open mouth. It sounded like a wheezy pair of
bellows trying to play a tune. Bumper had never heard anything like it in
his life.