"I have it!" cried Billy, and tearing in two pieces the pocket-handkerchief that Gehsundheit had given him, he carefully wrapped and tied one half of it over Barker's lower set of teeth, and the other half over his upper set. It was a tedious operation, but finally Barker stood before him with his teeth all hidden and nothing but his gums exposed. Barker didn't mind, indeed he seemed to know just what Billy was about, and capered and danced with glee. "Now we will see what a gum bark will grow into," said Billy, quickly digging a hole. Over to it ran Barker and stood holding his nose down--pinch. "Wow--wow," went the dog, a muffled bark, for all the world like a toothless old man trying to talk. In a jiffy the dirt was shoveled in and up sprang--a gum tree. Yes, there instead of the Singing Tree stood a gum tree, its branches laden with "Yucatan," and "Pepsin," and "Tutti Frutti." "Hurrah!" cried Billy, shaking down package after package of gum. And popping a great piece into his mouth he chewed away for dear life. Quickly he spread the soft, sticky mass over a piece of cloth snipped from the lining of his jacket and pressed the whole thing over the puncture. It stuck as close and as tight as wall-paper, and Billy knew that he was indeed repaired. "Chug-ff--chug-ff--chug-ff--squee-ee!" went the hot air pump, and there stood Billy as round and fat as ever with never a leak in his suit. "Thank you, Barker, old boy," said Billy, patting Barker's head and taking the handkerchief out of his mouth. "And now we must be off." So saying he tucked the Dog under his arm and jumped up and away. Far, far away they sailed. The gum seemed to have given the suit new life--and why shouldn't magic gum improve a magic suit? It seemed to Billy that this jump was by far the longest he had ever taken. [Illustration: _He saw flying to meet him several shaggy bears._--Page 141.] Indeed, he felt so very happy that he commenced to sing, "Over the Hills and Far Away"--but alas! for Billy this was a fatal step. He had hardly gotten any further in his song than "far away," when he saw flying to meet him several shaggy bears. "I suppose I'm in for it now," he said to himself; "they look fierce enough to be some more of Nickel Plate's friends. I wonder if I shall ever get to Bogie Man's house, anyway." "Gr-r-f gr-r-r!" growled the foremost bear when they got in speaking distance. "Gr-r-r-r gr-r-r-rf!" growled the other bears. But true to his habit, Billy put on a bold front, and smiling politely said, "Good afternoon." "Afternoon," said the first bear gruffly. And then all the bears surrounded Billy and flew along by his side. Billy was really very much disturbed by this, but turning to the largest bear, he said: "I see that you were bound in the opposite direction to me--and though I appreciate your company I wouldn't detain you for the world." "Mind your own business!" growled the bear.