"The next most important thing is dryness. A damp house is bad, verybad. It is uncomfortable, and it is bad for the health. This place isperfectly dry. It will be warm in winter and cool in summer. I can'timagine a more comfortable house. The only thing lacking is a good bed,and that I'll soon make. On the whole, I guess the finding of thisnew house is worth all I went through. Now I think I'll go out andget acquainted with the neighborhood and see if I have got any nearneighbors."
So Bobby went out through the narrow entrance and began to look about tosee what he could discover. "I think," said he, "that I'll follow thisledge and see if there are any more caves like mine. I might find abetter one, though I doubt it."
He shuffled along, light of heart and brimming over with excitement andcuriosity. You know it always is great fun to explore a strange place.He had gone but a little way when he came to a sort of big open cave inthe rock. Bobby stopped and peered in. Almost the first thing he sawwas a bed. It was a big bed, and it was made of dry leaves and littlebranches of hemlock. It was a very good bed, and it was clear that someone had been sleeping in it very recently. Bobby's eyes grew very round.Then he sniffed.
That one sniff was enough. Bobby turned and ran back to his new houseas fast as his legs would take him. All the pleasure he had taken in hisnew home was gone. He had discovered that his nearest neighbor was noneother than Buster Bear himself!
XXIII. BUSTER BEAR FINDS BOBBY COON
|BOBBY COON was back in his new house, in the little cave in the rockyledge deep in the Green Forest, and never was he or any member of hisfamily more upset. You see, he had started out in high spirits to seewhat was to be seen about his new home and to find out who his neighborsmight be, and he hadn't much more than started when he discovered thathis nearest neighbor was none other than Buster Bear. Wasn't that enoughto upset anybody? Anyway, it was enough to upset Bobby Coon, for only afew hours before Buster Bear had tried to catch him and had threatenedto eat him. So all desire to spend the night looking about left Bobbythe very instant he found Buster Bear's home in that very same rockyledge in which his own new home was.
"What a dreadful fix, what a dreadful, dreadful fix I'm in," whinedBobby. "Here I've found the best home I've ever had, and now I findthat Buster Bear lives almost next door. I don't dare stay here, andI haven't any place to go. Oh, dear, oh, dear, what can a poor littlefellow like me do? I wish I were as big as Buster Bear. I do. Then I'dfight him. I would. I'd fight him."
"Who would you fight?" demanded a great, deep, grumbly, rumbly voicefrom outside his doorway.
Bobby just dropped right down where he was and shook with fright. But hetook great care not to make a sound, not the teeniest, weeniest sound.Perhaps Buster Bear didn't know who it was he had overheard. Perhaps, ifhe kept perfectly still, Buster would think he had been mistaken.
"Who are you in there, anyway?" demanded the deep, grumbly, rumblyvoice. "I didn't know any one was living here. Why don't you come outand be sociable?"
Bobby simply shivered and kept his tongue still. For a minute ortwo there was no sound from outside. Then there were three longsniffs--sniff, sniff, sniff! They made Bobby shiver more than ever.
"Oh, ho! So it's you, Bobby Coon! It's my little Cousin Bobby!"exclaimed the deep, grumbly, rumbly voice of Buster Bear, followed by achuckle. "Welcome to the old rock ledge, Bobby. Welcome to the old rockledge. If I am to have such a near neighbor, I'm glad it is to be you.Come out and shake hands. Don't be so bashful. I won't hurt you."
At that Bobby pricked up his ears a little. He knew that Buster's nosehad told him all he wanted to know, and that there was no use to pretendany longer.
"Do you really mean that, Cousin Buster?" he asked in a faint voice.
"Certainly I mean it. Of course. Why not? I usually mean what I say,"grumbled Buster Bear.
"That's just the trouble," replied Bobby timidly. "Just a little whileago you tried to catch me and said that you would eat me, and I thoughtyou meant it."
Buster Bear began to chuckle and then to laugh, and his laugh was deepand grumbly rumbly like his voice.
"That's so, Bobby! That's so!" said he. "But that was when my stomachwas so empty that it made me lose my temper. Now my stomach is full, andI'm really myself. You know you don't need to be afraid of me when Iam myself. Just forget that little affair. I should have, if youhadn't reminded me of it. I'm glad you've decided to be neighborly. Youcouldn't make your home in a safer place. I'm going to take a nap now.Come over and see me when you feel like it. Be neighborly, cousin Bobby.Be neighborly."
With this Buster Bear went shuffling along to his own house and bed. Asfor Bobby Coon, he was soon in the best of spirits again. He decided toremain right there, and he is there this very minute, I suspect, unlesshe is out getting into mischief or seeking new adventures. Speaking ofadventures reminds me of some of Jimmy Skunk's.
It will take a whole book to tell you of them, so I am going to devotethe next one to Jimmy and his doings.
THE END
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