and a few wild bears,
maybe."

"Wildcats! Bears! Wolves!"

"Why, yes. Often when I play in the moonlight they come out and dance
for me."

"Oh!" said Bo.

"I have them all dancing together, sometimes. I'll have them dance for
you before long."

"Oh, Ratio, will you?"

"Yes. It's a lot of fun, but there's no money in it, and that's what
we're after now, Bo. We're going to buy that swamp, you remember, and
start that bear colony."

Bosephus was about to reply when Horatio paused and listened. There was
the distant sound of dogs barking.

"Hello!" said Bo. "We're coming to somewhere. Now we'll give our first
regular performance. Come on, Ratio!"

Horatio hesitated.

"How many dogs do you suppose there are, Bo?" he asked anxiously.

"About a dozen, I should think, big and little."

"Little dogs, Bo? Little snapping dogs?"

"That's what it sounds like, and some hounds and a big dog or two. You
don't mind dogs, do you?"

[Illustration: "HELLO!" SAID BO, "WE'RE COMING TO SOMEWHERE."]

"Oh, no, not in the least--but it's most too soon after breakfast to
give a performance, and besides, all that noise would spoil the music."

But the little boy, who still had in his pocket the two candy hearts
that had been given to him by the Todd girls, walked ahead proudly.

"You trust to me!" he said, flourishing a large stick. "I'll stop their
noise pretty quick. I'm not afraid of dogs!"

The Bear followed some steps behind, looking ahead warily.

"I'm not afraid, either, you know," he said, anxiously. "Only when there
are so many of them they get me mixed up on my notes and one of them
once had the ill manners to nip quite a piece out of my left hind leg."

Presently they came into an open space and plump upon a little
crossroads village. A gang of dogs gambolled upon the common, chasing
stray geese and barking loudly. Horatio paused.

"Come back, Bo," he whispered. "There's no money in that crowd."

But Bosephus was already some distance ahead, stick in hand, and the
dogs had spied him. They ceased barking for a moment and two or three of
the larger ones ran away. Then the little dogs began yelping again and
came on in a swarm. Bo made at them with his stick, but they dodged past
him, and in a moment more were circling and snapping around Horatio, who
was waving his violin wildly with one paw and slapping like a man
killing mosquitoes with the other.

"Quick, Bo!" he shouted. "Quick! Help! Murder!"

The lit