The Arkansaw Bear Part 8

The Bear reflected a moment. Then he said thoughtfully:--

"Do you suppose, Bo, it was that nice fat one?"

"I shouldn't wonder a bit. I saw him watch every penny I took in last night."

Horatio licked out his tongue eagerly.

"Could I have him if it was?" he asked hungrily.

"Have him! How?" said Bo. Then he shuddered. "Oh! no, not that way--of course not. But I'll tell you, Ratio," he added, "we'll make him believe that you can, and frighten him into giving up the money."

Horatio frowned.

"I don't like make-believes," he grumbled. "Can't we let the money go this time and not have any make-believe?"

"Not much--we want that money right now, before the boat lands; then we'll go ash.o.r.e and get out of such a crowd. Come, Ratio."

No one was stirring on the upper deck as yet, but the crew was collected below where the second mate was shouting orders as the boat swung slowly into the bank. They boy and Bear dashed down the stairs.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "OUR MONEY! IT IS GONE!"]

"Wait!" shouted Bo to the officer. "Somebody on this boat last night stole our money, and I want my Bear to find him. It won't take but a minute, for he can tell a thief at sight when he's mad and hungry, and he's mad now, and hungry for dark meat!" The boy looked straight into the crowd of negroes, while the Bear growled fiercely and fixed his eye on the fat darky.

The crew fell back and the fat darky with a howl started to run.

"That's the one! That's the thief!" shouted Bo, and with a snarl Horatio bounded away in pursuit. Down the narrow gangway to the stern of the boat, then in a circle around a lot of cotton, they ran like mad, the Bear getting closer to the negro every minute. Then back again to the bow in a straight stretch, the thief blue with fright and Horatio's eyes shining with hungry antic.i.p.ation. The rest of the crew looked on and cheered. Suddenly, as the fat darky pa.s.sed Bo, he jerked a sack from his pocket and flung it behind him.

"Dar's yo' money! Dar's yo' money!" he shouted. "Call off yo' B'ar!"

But that was not so easy. Bosephus shouted frantically at Horatio, but he did not seem to hear. His blood was up, and his taste for dark meat was stronger than his love of money. As the two came clattering around the second time he was so close to his prey that with a quick swipe he got quite a piece of his shirt. With a wild yell the fat fugitive leaped over into the river and struck out for sh.o.r.e.

Horatio paused. His half open jaws were dripping and his eyes red and fiery with disappointment. Bo went up to him gently.

"Come, Ratio," he whispered.

The Bear paid no heed. He was watching his escaped prey, who had reached the sh.o.r.e and was disappearing in a great canefield.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE FAT FUGITIVE LEAPED OVER INTO THE RIVER.]

"Come!" Bo whispered again. "We'll go ash.o.r.e, too."

Horatio wheeled eagerly. The gangplank was being lowered, and he hurried Bo out on it, so that when it touched the bank he was all ready to give chase again.

"No, wait; some music first," said Bo. "I have thought of some new lines for the second part of the tune."

For a moment Horatio hesitated. Then the temptation of the music was stronger even than his appet.i.te, and, throwing his violin into position, he began to play. The pa.s.sengers, roused by the excitement, had gathered on the upper deck. The crew coming ash.o.r.e below paused to listen.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Music]

"Oh! there was a fat darky with an appet.i.te for wealth, And the only way to get it was to capture it by stealth,

[Ill.u.s.tration: Music]

But when it came to keep it, his chances were so small, He concluded that he really didn't care for it at all.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Music]

For we placed him and we faced him, and my bear Horatio chased him-- In a manner most surprising he pursued him to and fro--

[Ill.u.s.tration: Music]

And we hope we do not grieve you, but we feel that we must leave you, For the Southern sun is rising, and we're bound--to--go."

The crew cheered and the pa.s.sengers on the upper deck shouted and waved their handkerchiefs.

"Don't go!" they called. "Don't leave us!" But the friends turned their faces to the East and set out on a broad white road that led away to the sunrise.

CHAPTER VII

HORATIO'S MOONLIGHT ADVENTURE

[Ill.u.s.tration: Music]

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

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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-cane Horatio and Bosephus had learned some of the old negro songs of Louisiana and sang them to their own music. They were doing so now as they marched along the bank of a quiet bayou, where the blue gra.s.s came to the water's edge and the long Spanish moss from big live oak trees swung down twenty feet or more till it almost touched the water. They had 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 some they were just then pa.s.sing.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "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 not understand 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 are hinting at."