Arkansaw Bear: A Tale of Fanciful Adventure Read online

  CHAPTER III

  HORATIO AND THE DOGS

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  "Blossom on the bough and bird on the limb-- Old Black Bear sits a-grinning at him;

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  Sawing on his fiddle and a-grinning at the jay-- Grinning as he saws the only tune that he can play."

  HORATIO leaned back against the tree and played lazily. Bosephus laystretched full length on the leaves, following idly with any words thathappened to fit the strain. A blue jay just over their heads bobbed upand down on a limber branch, waiting for them to go. The Bear took upthe song as the boy paused:--

  "Boy on the bank and bird on the tree-- Bird keeps a-bobbing and a-blinking at me; Bobbing and a-blinking, and a-waiting for a bite-- Hasn't had a thing to eat since late--last--night."

  "I say, Ratio," interrupted Bo. "Suppose we move on and give Mr. JayBird a chance?"

  Horatio grunted and rose heavily. After their adventure with the Toddfamily they had come to a pleasant spot in the woods by a clear streamof water. Bo, who had some matches in his pocket, had kindled a fire androasted some of the corn, much to the disgust of Horatio, who dislikedfire and asked him why he didn't roast the watermelon, too, while he wasabout it. Then they had eaten their breakfast together and taken abrief rest before setting forth again on their travels. A jay bird waswaiting to peck the gnawed ears and melon rinds. He stared at thestrange pair as they strolled away through the trees, the Bearcontinuing his favorite melody.

  "Ratio," said Bo, pausing suddenly, "what is that I hear scurryingthrough the bushes every now and then?"

  "Friends of mine, likely."

  "Friends! What friends?"

  "Oh, everything, most. Wild cats, wolves, foxes and a few wild bears,maybe."

  "Wildcats! Bears! Wolves!"

  "Why, yes. Often when I play in the moonlight they come out and dancefor me."

  "Oh!" said Bo.

  "I have them all dancing together, sometimes. I'll have them dance foryou before long."

  "Oh, Ratio, will you?"

  "Yes. It's a lot of fun, but there's no money in it, and that's whatwe're after now, Bo. We're going to buy that swamp, you remember, andstart that bear colony."

  Bosephus was about to reply when Horatio paused and listened. There wasthe distant sound of dogs barking.

  "Hello!" said Bo. "We're coming to somewhere. Now we'll give our firstregular performance. Come on, Ratio!"

  Horatio hesitated.

  "How many dogs do you suppose there are, Bo?" he asked anxiously.

  "About a dozen, I should think, big and little."

  "Little dogs, Bo? Little snapping dogs?"

  "That's what it sounds like, and some hounds and a big dog or two. Youdon't mind dogs, do you?"

  "HELLO!" SAID BO, "WE'RE COMING TO SOMEWHERE."]

  "Oh, no, not in the least--but it's most too soon after breakfast togive a performance, and besides, all that noise would spoil the music."

  But the little boy, who still had in his pocket the two candy heartsthat had been given to him by the Todd girls, walked ahead proudly.

  "You trust to me!" he said, flourishing a large stick. "I'll stop theirnoise pretty quick. I'm not afraid of dogs!"

  The Bear followed some steps behind, looking ahead warily.

  "I'm not afraid, either, you know," he said, anxiously. "Only when thereare so many of them they get me mixed up on my notes and one of themonce had the ill manners to nip quite a piece out of my left hind leg."

  Presently they came into an open space and plump upon a littlecrossroads village. A gang of dogs gambolled upon the common, chasingstray geese and barking loudly. Horatio paused.

  "Come back, Bo," he whispered. "There's no money in that crowd."

  But Bosephus was already some distance ahead, stick in hand, and thedogs had spied him. They ceased barking for a moment and two or three ofthe larger ones ran away. Then the little dogs began yelping again andcame on in a swarm. Bo made at them with his stick, but they dodged pasthim, and in a moment more were circling and snapping around Horatio, whowas waving his violin wildly with one paw and slapping like a mankilling mosquitoes with the other.

  "Quick, Bo!" he shouted. "Quick! Help! Murder!"

  The little boy wanted to laugh, but ran up instead and began strikingamong the bevy of dogs that were torturing his friend. Some of themhowled and ran off a few paces. Then they came flocking back. SuddenlyHoratio thrust his violin into Bo's hand and ran swiftly toward a largetree a few yards distant. The curs followed and jumped high into the airafter him as he scrambled up to the lower limbs.

  Bosephus hurried after them and struck at them so fiercely with his clubthat they ran yelping away. A number of villagers, attracted by thecommotion, were now appearing from all quarters.

  "Here come the people, Ratio," said Bo, grinning. "Now we can perform."

  "All right, Bo," whispered the Bear, "but if you'll kindly hand me upthat fiddle I believe I'll perform right where I am."

  The boy passed up the violin and the Bear struck a few notes. By thistime the people had collected. There was a blacksmith with a leatherapron, and a painter with all colors of paint on his clothes. Behindthem there came a woman with dough on her hands and another carrying ababy. Other men and women followed in the procession, and a dozen or sochildren of all ages. They halted a little way from the tree and stoodstaring. Horatio sat astride a big limb and commenced playing. Suddenlythe boy threw back his head and began to sing:--

  "Oh, the dogs barked loud and the dogs barked low And the boy stood still and the Bear climbed the tree, At an Old Black Bear and a boy named Bo. While the people came a-running to see what they could see."

  The children drew up close at the first line and held their breath tolisten. As the boy paused they shouted and screamed with laughter at thesight of Horatio fiddling in the forks of the tree. The dogs sat in arow and howled plaintively.

  "Sing some more," cried the woman with the baby; "it amuses my littleJoey."

  BOSEPHUS HURRIED AFTER THEM AND STRUCK AT THEM.]

  "Yes, the people came to see them and the dogs they ran away, And the boy began to sing and the Bear began to play, Till it tickled all the children and it made the baby crow, And it set the people dancing till they jumped--Jim--Crow."

  "More! more!" shouted the people as they formed into cotillons andreels. "Sing us some more!"

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  "Oh, the ridy-diddle-diddle of Horatio and his fiddle, And the singing of Bosephus they had never heard before;

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  And it set them all to spinning, and the music was so winning That they wined them and they dined them until half past four!"

  "Wait! wait!" called the woman with the baby under her arm, "I'm all outof breath."

  "No, no!" shouted the children and all the others. "Go on! Go on!"

  So once more and yet another time the unwearied musicians repeated theirperformance, and then Bo politely passed his hat to the dancers. When hehad been to each one his hat was heavy with some money and many usefularticles.

  "Bring your Bear down out of the tree," said the blacksmith, "and wewill give you a feast on the common."

  Bo beckoned to Horatio to climb down, but the big fellow hesitated.

  The temptation of a feast, however, was too much for him.

  ONCE MORE AND YET ANOTHER TIME.]

  That night, when they had both danced again for the people and Horatiohad given them an acrobatic exhibition, they strolled away through theevening loaded down with luxuries of all kinds. The villagers went withthem to the outskirts, and called good luck after them. As they passedinto the quiet shadows of the forest they once more heard the barkingof dogs in the distance behind them.

  "We have had a good day, Bosephus," said Horatio, with a long sigh ofsatisfaction. "We are on the road to fortune. To be sure, there arelittle thorns along the way--"

  "Dogs, for instance--and guns."

  "Tri
fles, Bosephus; trifles. Don't give them a second thought. Of courseyou are only a little boy as yet, and will outgrow these fears."

  "And learn to climb trees."

  "I hope you don't think I climbed that tree out of fear, Bosephus. Imerely went up there to get a better view of my audience. One shouldalways rise above his audience. And now let us sing softly together aswe go. It will rest us after our day of conquest."

  And touching the strings lightly and singing softly together, thefriends sought leisurely their evening camp. Here and there a lightrustle in the bushes showed that the forest people were listening, andthe leaves of the forest whispered in time to their melody.