The Arkansaw Bear: A Tale of Fanciful Adventure

By Albert Bigelow Paine

Albert Paine was a late 19th and early 20th century American author who remains best known today for collaborating with Mark Twain on a number of books.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Krill Press
• Release date: Feb 17, 2016
• ISBN: 9781531210779

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THE ARKANSAW BEAR: A TALE OF FANCIFUL ADVENTURE

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Albert Bigelow Paine

MILK PRESS

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This book is a work of fiction; its contents are wholly imagined.

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Copyright © 2016 by Albert Bigelow Paine

Interior design by Pronoun

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I: THE MEETING OF BOSEPHUS AND HORATIO

CHAPTER II: THE FIRST PERFORMANCE

CHAPTER III: HORATIO AND THE DOGS

CHAPTER IV: THE DANCE OF THE FOREST PEOPLE

CHAPTER V: GOOD-BYE TO ARKANSAW

CHAPTER VI: AN EXCITING RACE

CHAPTER VII: HORATIO’S MOONLIGHT ADVENTURE

CHAPTER VIII: SWEET AND SOUR

CHAPTER IX: IN JAIL AT LAST

CHAPTER X: AN AFTERNOON’S FISHING

CHAPTER XI: THE ROAD HOME

CHAPTER XII: THE BEAR COLONY AT LAST. THE PARTING OF BOSEPHUS AND HORATIO

The Arkansaw Bear: A Tale of Fanciful Adventure

By

Albert Bigelow Paine

The Arkansaw Bear: A Tale of Fanciful Adventure

Published by Milk Press

New York City, NY

First published circa 1937

Copyright © Milk Press, 2015

All rights reserved

Except in the United States of America, this book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

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CHAPTER I: THE MEETING OF BOSEPHUS AND HORATIO

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And the night was cloudy and the wind was raw,"Oh, ‘twas down in the woods of the Arkansaw,

And if he hadn’t fiddled he’d a travelled all night."And he didn’t have a bed and he didn’t have a bite,

BOSEPHUS paused in his mad flight to listen. Surely this was someone playing the violin, and the tune was familiar.

He listened more intently.

And says he, ‘Where am I going? Now tell me if you can——’But he came to a cabin and an old gray man,

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 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:—

But before we have the supper we will play the music through.Oh, we’ll have a little music first and then some supper, too,

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 you ever started out in Arkansaw to roam.You’ll forget about your supper—you’ll forget about your home—

My name is Horatio, he continued. Called Ratio for short. But I don’t like it. Call me Horatio, in full, please.

MAYBE YOU CAN PLAY IT YOURSELF.

Oh, ye-yes, sir! said Bo, hastily.

See that you don’t forget it! grunted the Bear. "I don’t like familiarity in my guests. But I am clear away from the song I was singing when you came tearing out of that thicket. Seems like I never saw anybody in such a hurry to see me as you were.

As he fiddled and he fiddled, but he never played it through. And the stranger sat a-list’ning and a-wond’ring what to do, And the tune was pretty lively, and he played it o’er and o’er;Now the old man sat a-fiddling by the little cabin door,

Bo was very fond of music, and as Horatio drew from the strings the mellow strains of The Arkansaw Traveller he forgot that both he and the Bear were hungry. He could dance very well, and was just about to do so as the Bear paused.

Why don’t you play the rest of that tune, Horatio? he asked, anxiously.

Same reason the old man didn’t! growled the Bear, still humming the air,

"Oh, raddy daddy dum—daddy dum—dum—dum—

Why! continued Bo, that’s funny!

Is it? snorted Horatio; "I never thought so!

‘Don’t know it,’ says the fiddler, ‘Play it for yourself!’ says he——Then the stranger asked the fiddler ‘Won’t you play the rest for me?’

Maybe you can do what the stranger did, Bosephus—maybe you can play it yourself, eh? grunted the huge animal, pausing and glowering at the little boy.

Oh, no, sir—I—I—that is, sir, I can only wh-whistle or s-sing it! trembled Bo.

What!

Y-yes, sir. I——

You can sing it? shouted the Bear, joyfully, and