" The others assented, and the
puppy was solemnly informed of the fact, and received a chicken-bone in
honor of the occasion. Then the three friends ate their dinner, and very
merry they were over it. Hildegarde crowned Pink with the pine-tassel
wreath, and declared that she looked like a priestess of Diana.

"No, she don't," said Bubble, looking up from his cold chicken; "she
looks like Lars Porsena of Clusium sot in his ivory cheer, on'y she
ain't f'erce enough. Hold up yer head, Pinky, an' look real savage, an'
I'll do Horatius at the Bridge."

Pink did her best to look savage, and Zerubbabel stood up and delivered
"Horatius" with much energy and appropriate action, to the great
amusement of his audience. A stout stick, cut from a neighboring
thicket, served for the "good Roman steel;" and with this he cut and
slashed and stabbed with furious energy, reciting the lines meanwhile
with breathless ferocity. He slew the "great Lord of Luna," and on the
imaginary body he--

"Right firmly pressed his heel,
And thrice and four times tugged amain,
Ere he wrenched out the steel."

But when he cried--

"What noble Lucumo comes next
To taste our Roman cheer?"

the puppy, who had been watching the scene with kindling eyes, and ears
and tail of eager inquiry, could bear it no longer, but flung himself
valiantly into the breach, and barked defiance, dancing about in front
of Horatius and snapping furiously at his legs. Alas, poor puppy! He was
hailed as "Sextus," and bade "welcome" by the bold Roman, who forthwith
charged upon him, and drove him round and round the grove till he sought
safety and protection in the lap of Lars Porsena herself. Then the
bridge came down, and Horatius, climbing nimbly to the top of the rock,
apostrophized his Father Tiber, sheathed his good sword by his side
(_i.e._, rammed his stick into and _through_ his breeches pocket), and
with his jacket on his back plunged headlong in the tide, and swam
valiantly across the pine-strewn surface of the little glade.

Bubble's performance was much applauded by the two girls, who, in the
characters of Lars Porsena and Mamilius, "Prince of the Latian name,"
had surveyed the whole with dignified amazement. And when the boy,
exhausted with his heroic exertions, threw himself down on the
pine-needles and begged "Miss Hildy" to sing to them, she readily
consented, and sang "Jock o' Hazeldean" and "Come o'er the stream,
Charlie!"