Arkansaw Bear: A Tale of Fanciful Adventure Read online

  CHAPTER IV

  THE DANCE OF THE FOREST PEOPLE

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  "Oh! the night was warm and the moon was bright, And we pitched our camp in the pale moonlight;

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  In the pale moonlight and the green, green shade, And we counted up together all the money we had made."

  THE little boy jingled the coins in his hands, and sang reflectively tothe Bear's soft music. Their camp fire had died down to a few redembers, and the big moon hanging in the tree-tops made all the worldwhite and black, with one bright splash in the brook below. They hadfinished their supper, and Bosephus, with the needle and thread given tohim by old Mis' Todd, had patiently mended by the firelight a small rentin his trouser leg. Horatio, watching him with a grin, had finallyremarked:--

  "You see, Bo, if you wore clothes like mine you wouldn't have to dothat."

  "And if the dog that did that had got his teeth into your clothes, you'dhave wished they were like mine. Maybe that's why you didn't give him achance."

  "Let's count the money, Bo."

  So then they counted up their day's receipts. There was something morethan a dollar in all, and Horatio was much pleased.

  THEIR CAMP-FIRE HAD DIED DOWN.]

  "I tell you, Bo," he said excitedly, "we've made a fine start. By and bywe will earn two or three times that much every day, and be able tostart our bear colony before you know it."

  The little boy fondled the coins over and over. They were the first hehad ever earned.

  "Ratio," he said at last, "don't you suppose when we get a lot ofmoney--a big lot, I mean--we might give some to those people I used tolive with?"

  Horatio scowled.

  "I thought you said they didn't treat you well and you had to run away."

  "Yes, of course, Ratio; but then they were so poor and maybe they'd havebeen better to me if I had been able to earn money for them. They didtake me out of the poor house, you know, and--"

  "And you tried to get back again and got lost and fell in with me. Nowyou are sorry and want to go to them, do you?" and the Bear snorted sofiercely that the little boy trembled.

  "Oh, no! Not for the world! I never was so happy in all my life, only Ijust thought--"

  "Then don't think, Bo," interrupted Horatio, gently. "You are only alittle boy. I will do the thinking for this firm. Now for a song, Bo, tosoothe us."

  So then they played and sang softly together while the moon rose and thefire died out, and the boy poured the money from hand to hand, lovingly.

  "Bosephus," said his companion, as they paused, "were those people youlived with nice people? Nice fat people, I mean?"

  "Not very. Old Mr. Sugget might have been pretty fat if he'd had more toeat, but Mis' Sugget wasn't made to get fat, I know. It wasn't herbuild."

  "It was the old man that abused you, wasn't it?"

  "Well, mostly."

  "Knocked you about and half starved you?"

  "Sometimes, but then----"

  "Wait, please. I have an idea. When we get our bear colony started we'llinvite this Sugget party to visit us. We'll feed him--all he can eat. Byand by, when he gets fat--how long do you suppose it will take him toget fat, Bo? Fat enough, I mean?"

  "Fat enough for what?" shivered Bo.

  Horatio drew the horsehair briskly across the strings and looked up atthe moon.

  "Fat enough to be entertaining," he grinned, and began singing:--

  "Oh, there was an old man and his ways were mighty mean, And he wasn't very fat and he wasn't very lean, Till he went to pay a visit to a colony of bears, Then you couldn't find a nicer man than he was, anywheres."

  While the Bear played the little boy had been watching a slim, movingshadow that seemed to have drifted out from among the heavier shadowsinto the half-lit open space in front of them. As the music ceased itdrifted back again.

  "Play some more, Ratio," he whispered.

  Again the Bear played and again the slim shadow appeared in themoonlight and presently another and another. Some of them were slenderand graceful; some of them heavier and slower of movement. As the musiccontinued they swung into a half circle and drew closer. Now and thenthe boy caught a glimpse of two shining sparks that kept time andmovement with each. He could hardly breathe in his excitement.

  "Look there, Ratio," he whispered.

  Horatio did not stir.

  "Sh-h!" he said softly. "My friends--the forest people."

  The Bear slackened the music a little as he spoke and the shadowswavered and drew away. Then he livened the strain and they troopedforward again eagerly.

  Just then the moon swung clear of the thick trees and the dancers werein its full flood. The boy watched them with trembling eagerness.

  A tall, catlike creature, erect and graceful, swayed like a phantom inand out among the others, and seemed to lead. As it came directly infront of the musicians it turned full front toward them. It was animmense gray panther.

  At any other time Bo would have screamed. Now he was only fascinated.Its step was perfect and its long tail waved behind it, like a silverplume, which the others followed. Two red foxes kept pace with it. Twogray ones, a little to one side, imitated their movements. In thebackground a family of three bears danced so awkwardly that Bo wasinclined to laugh.

  "We will teach them to do better than that when we get our colony," hesaid.

  Horatio nodded without pausing. The dancers separated, each group toitself, the gray panther in the foreground. Spellbound, the boy watchedthe beautiful swaying creature. He had been taught to fear the"painter," as it was called in Arkansaw, but he had no fear now. Healmost felt that he must himself step out into that enchanted circle andjoin in the weird dance.

  New arrivals stole constantly out of the darkness to mingle in themerrymaking. A little way apart a group of rabbits skipped wildlytogether, while near them a party of capering wolves had forgotten theirtaste for blood. Two plump 'coons and a heavy bodied 'possum, aftertrying in vain to keep up with the others, were content to sit side byside and look on. Other friends, some of whom the boy did not know,slipped out into the magic circle, and, after watching the others for amoment, leaped madly into the revel. The instinct of the old days hadclaimed them when the wild beasts of the forest and the wood nymphs trodmeasures to the pipes of Pan. The boy leaned close to the player.

  "The rest of it!" he whispered. "Play the rest of it!"

  "I am afraid. They have never heard it before."

  "Play it! Play it!" commanded Bo, excitedly.

  There was a short, sharp pause at the end of the next bar, then a suddenwild dash into the second half of the tune. The prancing animals stoppedas if by magic. For an instant they stood motionless, staring with eyeslike coals. Then came a great rush forward, the gray panther at thehead. The boy saw them coming, but could not move.

  "Sing!" shouted Horatio; "sing!"

  For a second the words refused to come. Then they flooded forth in themoonlight. Bo could sing, and he had never sung as he did now.

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  "Oh, our singing, yes our singing, all our friends to us 'tis bringing, For it sets the woods to ringing, and the forest people know

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  That we do not mean to harm them in their dancing, nor alarm them-- We are seeking but to charm them with the sounds of long ago."

  THE INSTINCT OF THE OLD DAYS HAD CLAIMED THEM.]

  At the first notes of the boy's clear voice the animals hesitated; thenthey crept up slowly and gathered about to listen. They did not resumedancing to this new strain. Perhaps they wanted to learn it first. Bosang on and on. The listening audience never moved. Then Horatioplayed very softly, and the singer lowered his voice until it becamelike a far off echo. When Bo sang like this he often closed his eyes. Hedid so now.

  The music sank lower and lower, until it died away in a whisper. The boyceased singing and opening his eyes gazed about him. Here and there heimagined he heard a slight rustle in the leaves,
but the gray pantherwas gone. The frisking rabbits and the capering wolves had vanished. Thered and gray foxes, the awkward bears and the rest of that frolickingthrong had melted back into the shadows. So far as he could peer intothe dim forest he was alone with his faithful friend.