“I arranged,” said he, “to send to the Holly Sprig for your machine, and then to have you and it driven over to Waterton.  Now this I consider brutish.  My wife told me that it was, and I agree with her perfectly.  It will take several days to repair that injured wheel—­Walter tells me you cannot expect it in less than three days—­and what will you do in Waterton all that time?  It isn’t a pretty country, the hotels are barely good enough for a night’s stop, and there isn’t anything for you to do.  Even if you hired a wheel you would find it stupid exploring that country.  Now, sir, that plan is brushed entirely out of sight.  Your bicycle shall be sent on, and when you hear that it is repaired and ready for use, you can go on yourself if you wish to.”

“My dear sir,” I exclaimed, “this is entirely too much!”

He put his hands upon my shoulders and looked me squarely in the face.  “Too much!” said he, “too much!  That may be your opinion, but I can tell you you have the whole of the rest of the world against you.  That is, you would have if they all knew the circumstances.  Now you are only one, and if you want to know how many people are opposed to you, I have no doubt Percy can tell you, but I am not very well posted in regard to the present population of the world.”

There was no good reason that I could offer why I should go and sit solitary in Waterton for three days, and if I had had any such reason I know it would have been treated with contempt.  So I submitted—­not altogether with an easy mind, and yet seeing cause for nothing but satisfaction and content.

“Another thing,” said Mr. Larramie; “I have thought that you would like to attend to your bicycle yourself.  Perhaps you will want to take it apart before you send it away.  Percy will be glad to drive to the Holly Sprig, and you can go with him.  Then, when you come back, I will have my man take your machine to Waterton.  I have a young horse very much in need of work, and I shall be glad to have an excuse for giving him some travelling to do.”  I stood astounded.  Go back to the Holly Sprig!  This arrangement had been made without reference to me.  It had been supposed, of course, that I would be glad to go and attend to the proper packing of my bicycle.  Even now, Percy, running across the yard, called to me that he would be ready to start in two minutes.

When I took my seat in the wagon, Mr. Larramie was telling me that he would like me to inform Mrs. Chester that he would keep the bear until it was reasonable to suppose that the owner would not come for it, and that then he would either sell it or buy it himself, and make satisfactory settlement with her.

I know I did not hear all that he said, for my mind was wildly busy trying to decide what I ought to do.  Should I jump down even now and decline to go to the Holly Sprig, or should I go on and attend to my business like a sensible man?  There was certainly no reason why I should do anything else, but when the impatient Percy started, my mind was not in the least made up; I remained on the seat beside him simply because I was there.