CHAPTER IX
IN JAIL AT LAST
"Oh, the sky is blue and the sun is high, And the days roll 'round, and the weeks go by----"
"BO," interrupted Horatio, softly; "what's that over there on the bankthat looks like a man all in a wad?"
The little boy was singing along through the sweet Louisiana afternoon,putting into his song whatever came into his head:--
"And I turn, and I look, and what do I see? Someone's left his bundle by a live oak tree."
"What do you suppose is in that bundle, Bo?" asked the Bear, anxiously.
"Oh, I don't know. Old clothes, from the looks of it. The owner isn'tfar off.
"When a coat and vest and hat, and pair of trousers you espy, You can bet your bottom dollar there's a man close by."
Horatio looked in every direction. Then he walked over to the clothes.
"Why," said Bo, following; "I guess somebody's taking a swim. Come on,Ratio. Remember the honey and the oranges."
But the Bear was curious. He picked up the hat and set it on his head.Bo laughed lazily. Then Horatio laid down his violin and slipped onearm into the waistcoat, trying vainly to reach with the other. Bogood-naturedly helped him. The little boy felt in the humor for fun, andHoratio looked too comical.
"Better not put on the coat," said Bo. "It might not be big enough andif you tore it the owner would make us pay for it."
But Horatio was excited.
"Hurry, Bo! Help me on with it. How do I look, Bo? I think I'll dressthis way all the time, hereafter. Is my hat becoming, Bo?"
"Oh, there was an Old Bear in a hat and a coat,"
sang Bo, but he got no further, for suddenly close by there was a loudyell, and without pausing to look behind Horatio made a wild dash in theother direction, followed by the little boy. Glancing back as they ran,Bo saw that they were pursued by a tall white man. He had paused only asecond to slip on his boots and trousers, and was coming after them fullspeed. In one hand he carried a revolver, in the other Horatio's violin.
"Shed 'em!" he shouted. "Shed them clothes or I'll shoot!"
"Shed 'em!" echoed Bo. "Shed 'em, Horatio!"
The bear slipped off the coat and flung it behind him.
"Shed 'em!" shouted the man again, and the waistcoat followed.
"I won't give up the hat, Bo!" panted Horatio.
"HOW DO I LOOK, BO?"]
But Horatio was mistaken, for at that instant the world beneath his feetsuddenly opened and he disappeared. Before the boy could check himselfhe plunged after the Bear and was struggling in the deep waters of abayou that came to a level with the bank and was covered thickly andconcealed by fallen leaves. Rising to the surface he found Horatioclinging to a fallen tree and the man, who had now overtaken them,holding out a limb, which the little boy gladly seized. The hat hadbeen already rescued.
"Well, you're a nice pair!" said their captor. "To run away with a man'sclothes and then go headlong into the bayou and get his hat all wet! I'mglad you didn't have that fiddle, or you'd a-ruined it. I've bin wantin'a good fiddle a long time, an' this here looks like a good one. Come outo' that, now, an' we'll take a walk up toward the jail. I happen to beconstable of this here community."
Bo groaned as he was dragged to shore. He did not mind the wetting, forthe weather was warm, but now they had lost the violin and would betaken to jail. Of course they would lose all their money. PerhapsHoratio would be killed. The Bear only blinked and shook himself when hehad been also towed to the bank and had scrambled out.
"I hope you won't take us to jail, sir," said Bo. "My Bear wasmischievous, but he didn't mean any harm, and I have a little money I'llgive you if you'll return us the violin and let us go."
"You come along with me!" answered the man, sternly. "It'll take moremoney than you've got to pay your fine, an' as fer that chap, we don'twant no bears roamin' loose aroun' here. March on ahead there, an' don'ttry none o' your tricks."
The constable cocked his revolver, and boy and Bear hurriedly started inthe direction of the village that showed above the trees about a milefurther on.
Bo was afraid to speak to their captor again, and as he never talkedwith Horatio except when they were alone, they marched alongdisconsolately and in silence. Now and then the man strummed on theviolin and chuckled to himself.
"SHED THEM CLOTHES OR I'LL SHOOT!"]
When they got to the village everybody came out to look at them. The mancalled out his story as they went along, and the people laughed andjeered. Heretofore the friends had entered Louisiana villages intriumph. Now, for the first time, they came dishonored and disgraced.Poor Horatio looked very downcast. He knew that he was to blame for itall.
When they got to the court room they found that the Justice of the Peacewas away fishing, so they were lodged in jail for the night. It was onlya little one room affair, with two small iron-barred windows, quite highfrom the ground. Boys climbed up and looked through these windows andthrew stones and coal in at Horatio, who huddled in a corner. By and bythe officer came with a plate of supper for Bo. He drove the boys awayand left the friends together. There was no supper for the Bear, so thelittle boy divided with him.
"Bo," said Horatio, tearfully, "it was my fault. They'll let you go,and, and--I hope they'll give you my skin, Bo."
Then they went to sleep.
* * * * *
Early next morning there was a crowd around the jail. The Justice hadreturned and the people wanted to see the fun. The friends were hustledinto court by the constable, the crowd stepping back to let Horatiopass. The justice was rather a young man and had a good-natured face,which made Bo more hopeful. But when they heard the constable make hischarge against them, both lost heart. They were accused of stealing anddamages and a lot of other things that they could not understand. TheJustice listened and then turned to the prisoners.
"What have you to say for yourselves?" he asked, looking straight at Bo.At first the little boy tried to speak and could not. The court room wasstill--every one waiting to hear what he was about to say. All at oncean idea came to him.
"Please, sir," he trembled, "if you will let my Bear have the violin wewill plead our case together."
"What violin? What does the boy mean?" asked the Justice, turning to theconstable.
"Oh, an ole fiddle they dropped when they took my clothes. I lef' itdown 't the house this morning."
Bo's heart sank. It was their only chance. He was about to give up whensuddenly there came another gleam of hope, though very faint. Wheelingquickly toward the sorrow stricken Bear he shouted:--
"Perform for them, Horatio! Perform!"
The words acted on Horatio like a shock of electricity. He straightenedup with a snort that caused the crowd to fall back, knocking each otherover like dominos. Then he made a bound into the open space and stood onhis head. Then with a spring backward he landed on his feet, and waved abow to the Justice! Another bound and he was walking on his hands andthen, after another bow to the Court, he turned a series of somersaultsso rapidly that he looked like a great wheel! When he landed on his feetthis time, and bowed once more to the Court, the crowd broke out into amighty cheer of applause.
"Order!" shouted the Justice. "Order!"
It grew still, and the little boy looked at the Court anxiously.
"Please, Your Honor," he said humbly, "that's our case."
"Case!" roared the Justice. "Well, I should say that was a case of fitsand revolution."
At this the crowd cheered again until they were rapped to order by theCourt.
"I sentence you," he said solemnly, and looking sternly at Horatio, "tosudden and disagreeable death!"
He paused, and Horatio staggered against Bo, who was very pale.
A CASE OF FITS AND REVOLUTION.]
"To sudden death," continued the Court, "if I catch you running offand falling in the water with any more of my officer's clothes. And Inow fine you, for the first offense, a performance on th
e common for thewhole town! Court is adjourned! Show begins at once! Constable, bringthat fiddle!"
With a wild shout the people poured outside. Many scrambled over eachother to get near Bosephus and the wonderful Bear, and when the violinwas brought and the show had begun every soul in the village wasgathered on the common.
That night, when all was over, the little boy and the Bear were theguests of the Justice, who owned a fine plantation adjoining thevillage. During the evening he had a long talk with Bo, and seemedgreatly impressed with the little boy's natural ability and shrewdness.When they parted next morning he said:--
"Remember, if you ever feel like giving up travel, come back here andI'll send you to school and college and make a man of you."
"I'll remember," said Bo, as they shook hands. A crowd had gathered tosee the travellers off. The constable was among them, and as theydisappeared around a bend in the road he waved and shouted with therest.
"Bosephus," said Horatio gravely, "I hope you don't think of desertingme. Remember how many close places I have helped you out of. This lastwas a little the closest of all, Bosephus, and I shudder to think whereyou might have been today if it had not been for me."
"That's so," said the little boy solemnly. "I don't suppose they'd haveeven given me your skin, Ratio."
Arkansaw Bear: A Tale of Fanciful Adventure Page 9