Book Description:
CONTENTS: I The Meeting of Bosephus and Horatio 11 II The First Performance 20 III Horatio and the Dogs 29 IV The Dance of the Forest People 38 V Good bye to Arkansaw 46 VI An Exciting Race 55 VII Horatio's Moonlight Adventure 64 VIII Sweet and Sour 73 IX In Jail at Last 83 X An Afternoon's Fishing 92 XI The Road Home 101 XII The Bear Colony at Last. The Parting of Bosephus and Horatio 111 an excerpt from: CHAPTER I THE MEETING OF BOSEPHUS AND HORATIO 'Oh, 'twas down in the woods of the Arkansaw,And the night was cloudy and the wind was raw, And he didn't have a bed and he didn't have a bite,And if he hadn't fiddled he'd a travelled all night.' BOSEPHUS paused in his mad flight to listen. Surely this was someone playing the violin, and the tune was familiar. He listened more intently. 'But he came to a cabin and an old gray man,And says he, 'Where am I going? Now tell me if you can '' It was the 'Arkansaw Traveller' and close at hand. The little boy tore hastily through the brush in the direction of the music. The moon had come up, and he could see quite well, but he did not pause to pick his way. As he stepped from the thicket out into an open space the fiddling ceased. It was 12 bright moonlight there, too, and as Bosephus took in the situation his blood turned cold. In the center of the open space was a large tree. Backed up against this tree, and looking straight at the little boy, with fiddle in position for playing, and uplifted bow, was a huge Black Bear! Bosephus looked at the Bear, and the Bear looked at Bosephus. 'Who are you, and what are you doing here?' he roared. 'I I am Bo se Bosephus, an' I I g guess I'm l lost!' gasped the little boy. 'Guess you are!' laughed the Bear, as he drew the bow across the strings. 'An an' I haven't had any s supper, either.' 'Neither have I!' grinned the Bear, 'that is, none worth mentioning. A young rabbit or two, perhaps, and a quart or so of blackberries, but nothing real good and strengthening to fill up on.' Then he regarded Bosephus reflectively, and began singing as he played softly: 'Oh, we'll have a little music first and then some supper, too,But before we have the supper we will play the music through.' 'No hurry, you know. Be cool, please, and don't wiggle so.' But Bosephus, or Bo, as he was called, was very much disturbed. So far as he could see there was no prospect of supper for anybody but the Bear. 'You'll forget all about supper pretty soon,' continued the Bear, fiddling. 'You'll forget about your supper you'll forget about your home You'll forget you ever started out in Arkansaw to roam.'
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