“Maybe not! Maybe not! But we must think of it.”
He was quiet for a moment, watching Buster out of the corner of his eyes. He was less afraid of the bear than at first. Something in his eyes made him think that perhaps his little girl’s trust was not misplaced after all. But he had a natural fear of all wild animals, and did not like to run any risks.
“I’ll tell you, dear,” he added finally, “we’ll put Buster in the cellar until the men have gone, and then--then we’ll telegraph to the owners of the circus. They will come for him, and he’ll be better off with them than with us.”
“But maybe he ran away from the circus because they were cruel to him,” protested Nell. “I don’t want him to go back then.”
“I don’t know about that, but I read in the papers that the circus people are going out of business. Their loss of animals in the smash-up decided them to give up the show business. Chiquita, their famous trainer, was injured so she’ll never go back to performing again. I believe she’s in the hospital now, and won’t be out for a month or two.”
Now all this was news to Buster. They couldn’t understand how eager he was to learn all about the circus. If Chiquita was injured in the wreck, then perhaps Spot and Ocelot and Old Lion were hurt, too, or even dead.
It made him very sad, for it meant the end of his circus life. He would never want to perform for another trainer now that Chiquita was gone. Poor Chiquita! Buster shed a tear for her, for she had been his dear friend, and he knew now that he couldn’t help her or ever see her again.
“Then, papa,” broke in little Nell again, “we can keep Buster, can’t we?”
“Only a few days, dear,” was the smiling reply. “We have no place to keep him, and I’m sure he’d soon try to escape.”
The little girl pouted, and looked anxiously at Buster before speaking. “Then what will become of him?” she added. “He won’t have any home at all. That will be dreadful, papa, and he’s been so good to me.”
“Ah!” exclaimed her father suddenly, his eyes brightening. “I have it. We’ll send him to the Zoo. We’ll make them a present of him if the circus people don’t come to claim him.”
The little girl was not exactly sure that she approved of this, and she continued pouting and looking at Buster. “But won’t they shut him up in a cage, and keep him there all the time?” she queried. “I don’t think I’d like to be caged forever and forever, would you?”