CHAPTER VI
THE LIFE OF A DANCING-BEAR
About the first of April, the third year of his adventurous life, asense of something that he craved was borne in upon the deep slumber ofBlack Bruin, or perhaps it was only the returning warmth that awakenedhim.
In either event he awoke, yawned, stretched himself and turned about inhis nest under the horse-barn. He felt stiff and cramped, as one had aright to, who had been sleeping since about Thanksgiving time.
Finally he got up, and going to a crack in the cellar wall, sniffed thebreeze, which came in quite freely. This was always his way when hewanted to find out what was going on. His nose was a much surer guidein most matters than his eyesight.
What the fresh spring wind told him was evidently to his liking, forhis tongue lolled out, his mouth dripped saliva, and he went at once tothe trap-door leading upstairs, and pushed it open with his shoulder.
In the cozy farmhouse kitchen, an event that fills the heart of theaverage country boy or girl with delight, was in progress.
Upon the kitchen range was placed a large galvanized iron syrup-pan.In it was three or four inches of golden maple syrup, which danced andsteamed and broke in little mountains of yellow bubbles, something thecolor of sunlight.
This was the amber toll from the rock-maple, discovered long ago by theIndian, whose primitive methods have been so greatly improved upon bythe white man. But there are still very remote places in Canada, wherethe old-fashioned slash in the tree, into which a wedge is driven, hasnot been superseded by spiles and buckets.
Several of the neighborhood children were gathered at the farmhousekitchen and jollity ran high.
Suddenly the door leading to the wood-shed flew open, and there in thedoorway stood Black Bruin. With a shout of delight they rushed uponhim, eager to greet and caress their wilderness pet.
For a week or two, as usual when coming forth from his long sleep,Black Bruin was rather inactive, and did not want much to eat; but bydegrees his spirits returned, and it was evident from the size andstrength now acquired, that he was to be more of a rogue and botherthan he had ever been before.
But even his warmest admirers, the neighborhood children, who alwaystook his part, no matter what he did, were not prepared for his nextantic.
Of course it was impossible for his friends, who had not been sleepingand going without food for several months, to say just how hungry theculprit was, or how strong the blood lust was upon him.
There had been pig-killing at the farmhouse, and the bear had eatensome of the refuse meat. This had only whetted his appetite for more,so he did some pig-killing on his own account.
One morning a neighboring farmer, very much excited, rushed into theyard and accused Black Bruin of stealing a small pig that morning fromhis sty. Although the family protested stoutly that he must bemistaken, a search of the premises showed that their pet was missing.
The bear's master thought best to settle for the pig, but even then theneighbor was much put out, and promised to try the effect of a rifleupon the thief the next time he should appear.
The marauder did not return to the farmhouse all that day, but cameslinking home late in the evening and went at once to his den in thewood-shed. Again he was chained to the maple in the front yard, andforced to live the life of a prisoner. But he was now getting sostrong that any ordinary collar would not hold, and he soon broke awayand again went upon a foraging expedition. This time his choice wasmutton, and his master had to pay for a pet sheep that he had takenfrom a neighbor's back yard.
This was getting serious, and the bear's master was thinking ofcorresponding with the keeper of a zoo or menagerie, to see if he couldgive his troublesome pet away, when Pedro Alsandro appeared upon thescene, and the whole tenor of Black Bruin's life was changed.
Pedro was an Italian peddler, carrying two large packs. He was a smallman with a swarthy olive-colored skin, and dark beady eyes, set rathertoo close together.
He appeared one warm April morning, and in the usual lingo of his kind,invited the good people at the farmhouse to "buy something."
When his pack had been overhauled and a few small purchases concluded,the peddler noticed Black Bruin, and he at once took his fancy. Hisgreed was also appealed to by seeing the bear perform his tricks.Pedro had once owned a dancing-bear, but it had run away from him toescape harsh treatment.
"Why should I lug these heavy packs about," he thought, "when I couldmake twice the money, merely by leading this bear from town to town?"
So the Italian set to work to gain the confidence of the bear and as hehad had considerable experience with his kind, it was not long beforehe had petted and bribed his way into Black Bruin's good-will.
"You buy someting me, I buy someting, this bear," he finally said tothe farmer.
This proposition was greeted by some neighbors' children with a chorusof wails and the housewife too objected, but to the farmer, who wasmuch perplexed to know what to do with the bear, it seemed like quite aProvidential opening.
"What you do with him, Pedro?" he asked, for he was as much attached tothe rogue as he would have been to a dog that he had raised frompuppyhood.
"I make heem one fine dancing-bear," replied Pedro, "I teach heem lotstreeks. He jes walk long, eat lots, sleep lots, have good time."
"Will you be good to him, Pedro?" asked the housewife, for she hated tothink of the bear's having any but considerate treatment.
"Y-e-a-r-r--lady," replied Pedro. "I feed heem much sugar, much peanutand much banan. He good bar, I keep heem careful and good."
So Pedro finally left a part of the contents of one of his packs inexchange for the bear, and went upon his way with a lighter pack. Inone hand he held a stout rope, the other end of which was fastened inBlack Bruin's collar.
The poor bear continually looked back and whined as they went down theroad, but Pedro coaxed and bribed him with sugar, that he had broughtalong for the purpose, until he was out of sight of the house.
Once beyond the reach of interference upon the part of his recentmaster, the Italian cut a stout heavy stick and sharpened one end, andwith that as a goad, he drove the bear relentlessly before him.Instead of coaxing there were henceforth sharp thrusts with the pointof the stick and savage blows upon the head.
At first Black Bruin was furious at such treatment, for had he not beenspoiled and petted all his life? He soon saw, however, that this manwas a new and terrible creature to be obeyed instantly, and one whosewrath it was not well to provoke by pulling back or sulking.
For several hours they journeyed on in this manner, until a smallvillage was reached. Here the peddler disposed of the remaining goodsin his two packs at a country store, and went into business as thekeeper of a dancing-bear.
That night the two slept in an old barn, curled down in the hay, andnestled closely together for warmth.
When his deep breathing told the bear that his new master was sleepingsoundly, he crawled carefully out of their nest and tried to slip away.But with a start Pedro awoke and pulled savagely upon his collar, whilewith his stick he prodded him back into his nest.
Truly this was a strange and terrible creature into whose hands he hadfallen. He knew what was going on when he was asleep, as well as whenhe was awake. There would be no escape from him. The poor brute didnot appreciate the fact that the Italian had tied the loose end of therope about his wrist, so that the slightest tug upon it would awakenhim.
The following morning, Black Bruin began his labors as bread-winner forboth. At the first farmhouse they came to, Pedro stopped and in hisbroken English, offered to entertain the good country people with hisbear in return for breakfast for both man and beast.
The offer was promptly accepted and Pedro's companion was made toshoulder his make-believe gun and march up and down. Then he was givenan egg to suck, and he carefully nicked a little piece in one end, andlicked out the delicious contents. This was the trick that he likedbest of all.
Finally he got
down on all fours and was horse for three children forseveral minutes. They would sit astride his back, with their smallhands tightly clasping the bear's long, glossy hair, while Pedro slowlyled him up and down.
At last the breakfast was set before them and the poor bear, who haddone all the work, was glad of his share of hot biscuit and maple syrup.
When they were upon the road again, Pedro began teaching the bear newtricks, for the few that he already knew were not enough to satisfy hisnew master, who thought he saw considerable money in him.
Whenever they came to a tree that was suitable for climbing, he wouldlead Black Bruin up to it, and shout "climb," at the same timethrusting his pointed stick viciously into the bear's hinder parts.
At first, the bear remonstrated and growled, but he got such a drubbingand jabbing that he went whining up the tree, and when he would notcome down Pedro threw stones at him, until he was glad to escape themissiles by obeying.
Much practice of this trick soon made the bear a great tree-climber,and he would scratch up the tree at his best pace, at the slightestsign from the Italian.
Next Pedro bought a bottle of ginger pop, which he sweetenedconsiderably to make it even more palatable for the bear, and thenslowly turned out a part of the contents for him to lick up. When thishad been done, he put in the cork very slightly and held it up for thebear to lick. Of course the cork soon came out and more of thecontents was spilled for the bear to drink. In this way by degrees hetaught the brute that the cork must first come out and then there wassweet within.
When the trick was finally mastered, the bear would stand upon his hindlegs, take a bottle of ginger pop from a man's hand, hold it betweenhis paws, pull out the cork with his teeth, and deliberately drink thecontents.
The performance of this trick got Pedro and the bear all the soda waterand small drinks that they cared for at the country stores and hotels.Occasionally Pedro would push the cork in very tight to tease theperformer, who would sometimes growl and box the bottle with his paw,to the great delight of the children.
At first the bear did not like beer, but he soon learned, and woulddrink it down the same as any toper.
Peanuts, pop-corn, corn-cake and candy he also learned to like, and hismanner of eating these delicacies always amused the children.
Sometimes when he had been doing tricks in a village for hours he wouldget very tired and lie down and sulk, when Pedro would beat and prodhim cruelly.
If the passers-by remonstrated with the Italian for treating his goodbear in this manner, Pedro would make the excuse for cruelty so oftenheard in Italy, where very little consideration is shown animals.
"Huh, lady," he would say, "he no Christian, he just brute. Pedro,Christian, bear, brute, devil."
Whenever Pedro and his companion entered a village, they were alwaysfollowed by an admiring crowd of children. As many as could, wouldclimb upon Black Bruin's back, and ride in triumph through the street,while dozens, who were less fortunate, followed behind, shoutingapproval.
Although it was quite a hardship for the bear to carry such a load, yetthe petting of the children was a great pleasure to him in these daysof tribulation. It reminded him of the children at the farmhouse whereevery one had been so good to him. For, brute that he was, he wasstill amenable to kindness, and brutalized by brutality.