le in a very skilful way,"

he sang dreamily, and then both together once more:--

"Now he'll never, never leave him, and he'll never, never grieve him,
And we're singing here together at the break--of--day."

"This is very pleasant travelling," commented Horatio thoughtfully. "It
beats walking, at least for speed and comfort. Of course, there are a
number of places we cannot reach by boat," he added, regretfully.

"Not in Southern Louisiana, Ratio. I've heard that there's a regular
tangle of rivers and bayous all over the country, and that boats go
everywhere."

Horatio looked pleased.

"Aren't you glad now, Bo," he said proudly, "that I proposed this boat
business? I have always wanted to travel this way. I was afraid at first
that you might not take to it very well, and when that whistle blew
last night I could see that you were frightened. It was unfortunate that
I should have had a fit just then or I might have calmed you. You saw
how anxious I was to go aboard. Of course, in being over brave I made a
slight mistake. I am always that way. All my family are. One really
ought to be less reckless about some things, but somehow none of my
family ever knew what fear was. We----"

But just then the boat concluded to land, and the morning stillness was
torn into shreds by its frightful whistle. Horatio threw up both hands
and fell backward on the deck, where he lay pawing the air wildly. Then
he stuffed his paws into his ears and howled as he kicked with his hind
feet. Bo stood over him and shouted that there was no danger, but his
voice made no sound in that awful thunder. All at once Horatio sprang up
and jammed his head under Bo's arm, trembling like a jellyfish. Then the
noise stopped, and with one or two more hoarse shouts ceased entirely.

"It's all right, Ratio, come out!" said Bo, trying to stop laughing.

Horatio felt of his ears a moment to see that they were still there,
while he looked skittishly in the direction of the dreadful whistle and
started violently at the quick snorts of the escaping steam.

"Bo," he said faintly, "do all boats do that?"

"Oh, yes! Some worse than others. This one isn't very bad."

"I'm sorry, Bo, for it is a great drawback to travel where one is
subject to fits as I am. It seems to bring them on. And it is not kind
of you to laugh at my affliction, either, Bosephus," he added, for Bo
had dropped down on the deck, where he was rolling and holding his
sides.

[I