Arkansaw Bear: A Tale of Fanciful Adventure Read online

  CHAPTER VII

  HORATIO'S MOONLIGHT ADVENTURE

  Music]

  "Rooster in de chicken coop crowin' foh day, Horses in de stable goin' 'Nay, nay, nay!'

  Music]

  Ducks in de yard goin' 'Quack, quack, quack!' Guineas in de tree tops goin' 'Rack-pot-rack!'"

  DURING the two weeks since they had come to the land of sugar-caneHoratio and Bosephus had learned some of the old negro songs ofLouisiana and sang them to their own music. They were doing so now asthey marched along the bank of a quiet bayou, where the blue grass cameto the water's edge and the long Spanish moss from big live oak treesswung down twenty feet or more till it almost touched the water. Theyhad had a good day and were going to camp.

  "Bo," said the Bear presently, "we are doing well. We are making money,Bo."

  "Fifty dollars since we left the boat," said the little boy.

  "These fat babies--little darky babies--are very amusing, too, Bosephus,don't you think so?" Horatio added, nodding in the direction of somethey were just then passing.

  "THESE LITTLE DARKEY BABIES ARE VERY--AMUSING."]

  "I notice that you think so," said Bo, dryly. "If you'll take my advice,though, you won't show any special fondness for them. People might notunderstand your ways, you know, and besides," he added, with a grin,"I've heard say these darkies down here are mighty fond of bear meat,and there's such a lot of them----"

  "Don't you mention it, Bo; I never dreamed of such a thing as you arehinting at."

  "Well, you said you were dreaming yesterday when we met that littledarky boy, and you nearly tore the jacket off of him before I could wakeyou up with a club."

  Horatio drew his bow hastily across the strings and began singing--

  Music]

  "Keemo, kimo, kilgo, kayro, Horses in de stable goin' 'Nay, nay, nay!'

  Music]

  Rop strop, periwinkle, little yaller nigger, Cum a rop strop bottle till the break of day."

  The sun was just setting behind a large, white, old fashioned sugarhouse, where the bayou turned, and made it look like an ancient castle.The little boy sighed. He had never believed that any country could beso beautiful as this, and he wanted to stay in it forever. Horatio likedit, too. They had played and danced at many of the sugar houses, and theBear had been given everywhere all the waste sugar he could eat. He wasfond of the green cane also, and was nearly always chewing a piece whenthey were not busy with a performance. But the big fellow had neverquite overcome his old savage nature, and the race on the steamboat hadroused it more fiercely than ever. The fat pickaninnies were a constanttemptation to him, and it had taken all Bo's watchfulness to keep himout of dreadful mischief. Bo never feared for himself. Horatio loved himand had even become afraid of him. It was for Horatio that he feared,for he knew that death would be sure and swift if one of thepickaninnies was even so much as scratched, not to mention anythingworse that might happen. Again the little boy sighed as they turned intoa clean grassy place and made ready for camp.

  Long after Bosephus was asleep Horatio sat by the dying camp fire,thinking. By and by he rose and walked out to the bank of the bayou andlooked toward the sugar house that lay white in the moonlight, half amile away. Then he went back to where Bo was asleep and picked up theviolin. Then he laid it down again, as though he had changed his mind,and slipped away through the shadows in the direction of the old sugarhouse. He said to himself that, as they were going in that direction andwould stop there next day, he might as well see how the road went andwhat kind of a place it was. He did not own, even to himself, that itwas the negro cabins and fat pickaninnies that were in his mind, andthat down in his heart was a wicked and savage purpose. Every little wayhe paused and seemed about to turn back, but he kept on. By and by hedrew near the sugar house and saw the double row of whitewashed huts inthe moonlight. It was later than he had supposed and the crowds oflittle darkies that were usually playing outside had gone to bed. Hesighed and was about to turn back when suddenly he saw somethingcapering about near the shed of the sugar house. He slipped up nearerand a fierce light came into his eyes. It was a little negro boy doing ahoo-doo dance in the moonlight.

  HE SLIPPED AWAY THROUGH THE SHADOWS.]

  Suddenly the little fellow turned and saw the Bear glaring at him.Horatio was between him and the cabins. The boy gave one wild shriek anddashed through a small open door that led into the blackness of thesugar house, the Bear following close behind. It was one of the oldCreole sugar houses where the syrup is poured out into open vessels tocool and harden. The little darky knew his way and Horatio didn't. Hestumbled and fell, and growled and tried to follow the flying shadowthat was skipping and leaping and begging, "Oh, Mars Debbil! Oh, please,Mars Debbil, lemme go dis time, an' I nevah do so no mo'. Nevah do nomo' hoo-doo, Mars Debbil; oh, please, Mars Debbil, lemme go!"

  But Horatio was getting closer and closer and in another moment wouldseize him. Then, suddenly, something happened. The Bear stumbled and,half falling, stepped into one of the big shallow wooden vessels. Hefelt his hind feet break through something like crusted ice and sink afoot or more into a heavy, thick substance below. When he tried to liftthem they only sank deeper. Then he knew what was the matter. He hadstepped into a mass of hardening sugar and was a prisoner! His forefeetwere free, but he dared not struggle with them for fear of getting themfast, too. The little darky, who thought the devil had stopped to rest,was huddled together in a corner not daring to move. Horatio rememberedBo sleeping safely in their camp and began to weep for his ownwickedness. In the morning men would come with axes and guns. Why had henot heeded Bo? Half seated on the crusted sugar he gave himself up tosorrow and despair.

  * * * * *

  It was early morning when Bo awoke. He was surprised to see that Horatiowas not beside him, for the boy was usually first awake. He calledloudly. Then, as the moments passed and the Bear did not come, he grewuneasy. Suddenly a terrible suspicion flashed over him. He sprang to hisfeet and seizing the violin that lay beside him set forth on a run inthe direction of the white sugar house. He knew Horatio would go therebecause it was nearest, and he felt certain that something dreadful hadhappened. The incident of the day before made him almost sure ofHoratio's errand, and he feared the worst. No doubt they had caught andkilled him by this time, and what would he do now without his faithfulfriend?

  SUDDENLY THE LITTLE FELLOW TURNED.]

  He ran faster and faster. As he drew near the sugar house he heard agreat commotion. For a moment he stopped. If Horatio had done somethingterrible and they had caught him perhaps it would be dangerous tointerfere. The next moment he rushed on. Horatio was his friend and hewould save his life if possible, unless----. He did not think anyfurther, but flew on. As he dashed into the cane yard he saw crowdsgathering and men running with axes and clubs. Others had guns and caneknives, and all were crowding toward the big doors of the sugar house,that were now thrown open. Inside he heard shouts, mingled withHoratio's fierce growls. His friend was still alive.

  Without pausing he rushed through the doors and saw a circle of negromen gathered about the big wooden trough where the Bear was a prisoner,snapping and growling and trying to get free. The little pickaninny who,in spite of his fright, had slept all night in the corner, was there,too, and the men with axes and other weapons had entered with Bo. Therewas not a second to be lost.

  "Wait!" screamed Bo; "wait!" And tearing through the astonished crowd hethrust the violin into Horatio's hands.

  "Play!" he shouted. "Play for your worthless life!"

  Horatio did not need to be told again. He reached for the violin andbow, and sitting in the now solid sugar struck the strings wildly.

  "Rooster in de chicken coop, crowin' foh day; Horses in de stable goin' 'Nay, nay, nay;' Ducks in de yard goin' 'Quack, quack, quack!' Guineas in de tree tops, goin' 'Rack-pot-rack!'"

  Horatio fiddled furiously, while Bo shouted and sang and the crowdjoined in.
They all knew this song, and as they sang they forgot allelse. Axes and guns and clubs were dropped as young and old fell intothe swing of the music.

  "Keemo, kimo, kilgo, kayro; Fleero, fliro, flav-o-ray; Rop strop, periwinkle, little yaller nigger, Cum a rop strop bottle till de break--of--day!"

  You could hear the noise for a mile. They danced and shouted and sang,and work was forgotten. After a long time, when they were tired out, Botook one of the axes and carefully broke the now solid sugar away fromRatio's feet and set him free. Then they brought water and washed hishind paws and he danced for them.

  After dinner, when the friends started out on their journey, the crowdfollowed them for nearly a mile. When all were gone Horatio turned to Boand said:--

  "I am glad you came just as you did, Bo."

  "I should rather think you would be," said Bo, grimly.

  "Because," continued Horatio, "if you hadn't I might have damaged someof those fellows, and I know you wouldn't have liked that, Bosephus." Helooked at the little boy very humbly as he said this, expecting a severelecture. But the little boy made no reply, and down in his heart the bigBear at that moment made a solemn and good resolve.