220 THE WORLD OF ICE.

the Little Bear came to the rescue and pushed it
forcibly down its throat. Having finished this delicate
little morsel the two bears rose on their hind lees and
danced a hornpipe together—Tom Singleton playing
the tune for them on a flute behind the scenes. When
this was done they danced off the stage, and immedi-
ately, as if in the distance, was heard the voice of a
man singing. It came gradually nearer, and at last
Buzzby, in the character of Ben Bolt, swagegered up to
the foot-lights with his hands in his breeches pockets.

“Tm a jolly, jolly tar,
Wot has comed from afar,
An’ it’s all for to seck my fortin ?—

sang Buzzby. “But I’ve not found it yit,” he con-
tinued, breaking into prose, “and there don’t seem
much prospect o’ findin’ it here anyhow. Wot an
‘orrible cold place it is, ugh!”

Buzzby was received with enthusiastic cheers, for
he was dressed in the old familiar blue jacket, white
ducks, pumps, and straw hat set jauntily on one side
of his head—a costume which had not been seen for
so many months by the crew of the Dolphin, that
their hearts warmed to it as if it weve an old friend.

Buzzby acted with great spirit, and was evidently a
prime favourite. He could scarcely recollect a word
of his part, but he remembered the general drift of it,
and had ready wit enough to extemporize, Having
explained that he was the only survivor of a ship-
wrecked erew, he proceeded to tell some of his adven-