"I know," he shouted; "dance! Horatio! dance!"

[Illustration: "DANCE! HORATIO, DANCE!"]

Horatio still had his fiddle under his arm. He threw it into position
and ran the bow over the strings. In a second more he was playing and
dancing, and Bo was singing as though it were a matter of life and
death, which indeed it was:--

[Illustration: Music]

"Oh, there was a fine man and a mighty fine gun
And a Bear that played the fiddle and a boy that couldn't run,

[Illustration: Music]

And the boy was named Bosephus and Horatio the Bear,
And they couldn't find a bite to eat for breakfast anywhere."

The Todd family stood still at this unexpected performance and stared at
the two musicians. Old man Todd leaned his gun against a tree.

"Now they couldn't buy their breakfast for their money all was spent,
So they dropped into a cornfield to collect a little rent;
But they only took a melon and an ear of corn or so,
And were going off to eat them where the butter blossoms grow."

The Todd family were falling into the swing of the music. Old Mis' Todd
and the girls were swaying back and forth and the men were beating time
with their feet. Suddenly Bosephus changed to the second part of the
tune.

[Illustration: Music]

"But the old man got up early with a temper rather surly,
And he chased them with his rifle and to catch them he was bound;

[Illustration: Music]

Till he heard the ridy-diddle of Horatio and his fiddle,
Then he shouted, 'Hallelujah, girls, and all--hands--'round!'"

The first line of this had started the Todd family. Old Zack swung old
Mis' Todd, and Jim swung the girls. Then all joined hands and circled
to the left. They circled around Bosephus and Horatio, who kept on with
the music, faster and faster. Then there was a grand right and left and
balance all--every one for himself--until they were breathless and could
dance no more. Horatio stopped fiddling and when old man Todd could
catch his breath he said to Bo:--

"Look a-here; that Bear of yours is a whole show by himself, and you're
another. Anybody that can play and sing like that can have anything I've
got. There's my house and there's my cornfield; help yourselves."

Bo thanked him and said that the corn and the melon already selected
would do for the time. To oblige them, however, he would take up a
modest collection. He passed his hat and received a silver twenty-five
cent piece,