"They think it's a new backdrop," explained Kelly.
But the delight with which Ikey was enjoying his bath in the
autumn
leaves was not lost upon his parents. Slowly and clumsily they
dropped to the ground. As though they expected to be recalled,
each
turned to look at the group of people who had now run to peer
through the wire meshes of the fence. But, as no one spoke and no
one signalled, the three bears, in single file, started toward
the
edge of the forest. They had of cleared space to cover only a
little distance, and at each step, as though fearful they would
be
stopped and punished, one or the other turned his head. But no
one
halted them. With quickening footsteps the bears, now almost at a
gallop, plunged forward. The next instant they were lost to
sight,
and only the crackling of the underbrush told that they had come
into their own.
Herrick dropped to the ground and locked himself inside the
preserve.
"I'm going after them," he called, "to see what they'll do."
There was a frantic chorus of entreaties.
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