Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1853-12-08
BEE HUNTING.

should "try 'em-that he didn't know moth
ing about his luck ;" tina, s.bees was the
knowingest critters aIive''-,hat they lived
in the ''holler trees, all around u.s." He
said "they had queens to govern 'em"-
tina, they had 'workers and drones,'-that
''every thing about 'em was done Just so,
and if any Of 'em broke the laws, they Just
killed 'em, and pitched 'em overheard" p
This, he said, he had 'sseed himself; he had
seen regular bee funeral" He "eeed, once,
four bees Juggling at dead body, drawing
it on the back, when they lhrew'd it out of
the hive end covered it over with dir,."-
And then, they have "war.," he says, and
'sgen'rsIs," and "caplin<," and "sogers," and
ego GU, fighting, and a stealing honey ;"
they are ''knowin' critters, and there is no
telling nothing abou. 'em.''
Venson took the little box he had brough,
with him, which was filled with honey, and
opening It's lid, placed it on a stump. He
then rsmbled around The wood until he
found lingering flower that had escaped
the frost, with honey-bee upon it. This he
picked, bee and ell, and placed on the ho-
uey. Soon the bee began 10 work and load
himself; and finally he rose in circles,
winding high in the air, and suddenly turn
ing right angle, he shot away out of sight.
''Where has he gone ," inquired |.
"Gone hum where he lives" answered
Venison, ".o unload his thighs and tell the
news"
Ia a few moments three bees returned,
filled themselves and departed; then six
then dozen, until black line was formed,
along which they were rushing both ways,
empty and laden, one end Of which was
lost in the forest.
Venison and myself then started on tro,,
with our eyes upward, to follow this living
line; aud after having proceeded quarter
Of mile, it became o confused and scat
tered tina. we gave it up, and returned.
"Wha. now :" inquired.
"l'll have 'em I'll heve 'em!' he re-
piled. "They can't chea. old Venison.-
I've hunted the critters more nor forty years
and | alters takes 'em when tries. rll
draw couple Of more sights on 'em.''
Venison took two pieces more Of honey,
and placed one on each side of his box
The bees followed him and commenced
their work. Very soon, instead Of one, he
had three lines established, his line of ho-
ney forming the base Of a triangle, while
the bees were ell rushing to lis point, on
each side Of this triangle through its mid
die.
This, of course, was demonstration
Venison and myself followed up again, and
sure enough we chad 'em," as he predicted.
There they were, roaring in the top Of q
great oak like thunder, coming in and 60
ing out. wheeling up and down through the
air as though some grea. celebration was
going on. 1t seemed that the whole hive
of workers must have broken forth to cap
ture and carry away Nelson's honey-box.
"Will they sting ," inquired ].
"Some folks they WILL" he replied. "lf
they hate man they'll follow him mile;
and no body knows who they hate and
who they don't, until they're tried"
'Where's the honey - inquired again
"Well, that's the next Thing I'm arter :"
and Venison put his ear to the trunk of The
tree to ascertain in wha, part Of it they
were "a-workin'." He listened a while but
6 they warn. low down, he know'd, for,
he didn't hear 'em hummin'." He though.
the honey was "ou, the way high up some
where" So at the tree he went with his
axe, and in half an hour the old oak-old-
er, probably, than any man on the globe
came down with crash tina, reused up all
the echoes of the wilderness.
Upon an examination, the honey was,
probably, Venison thought, packed away in
a hollow of the tree, about fifty feet from
the ground, as q large knot-hole was discern
ed, out of which the bees were streaming in
great CONSERVATION. So he severed the
trunk again, at the bottom of the hollow,
and there i. was, great fakes, piled one up
on another, some Of which had been broke
by the fall Of the tree, and were dripping
and oozing out their wild richness.
"Tha,'s the real stuff" exclaimed Vent
son ssome.hing sides bee-bread."
Venison had brought nothing with him
to hold his honey, and was lille curious
TO know now he would manage. He cut
the tree again above the knot. During his
labor the bees had settled all over him. His
hands, face end hair were filled, besides a
circle Of them that were angrily wheeling
about his head But he needed them not,
except by an occasional shake, which was
significant of pity, rather than rage.
Now" said Venison, when his work
was finished, the tree cut, the knot hole
stopped, and the whole turned uslde down,
'.hal's wha. call na.'ral beehive, and
we'll just stuff in a little dry grass on the
top, and then I'll be ready TO novel,
"Movem ] exclaimed, s'move !"-Y on
don't expect we will carry home tree, do
you?"
"Two or three on 'em, s'pect Vent
son alters gets as much as ,hs,.'
Venison was right Before noon half a
dozen hives were captured and ready for re-