Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-04-10
: ,CUMULATIN' BEEHIVE.
BY CAPT. JERE WILLIAMS

By CAPT. JERE WILLIAMS.
"Boys. / know where there is Seeesh bee
hive" said Jack Phillips, one dull morning,
while we were quartered on Cheat Mountain
Summit.
Where is it?" asked one of his two hearers
"n you'll promise to go along and help
'cumulate it, I'll tell you. |"
Count me one," said Jed Wieks
Count me half dozen, if you want that
many" said Bill Reese.
"But I'll tell you, boys, its down at Robi-
sons, on Cheat river, and worse than that, its
ALFRED big cross blOodhounds"
'Coms to think, said Jed Wicks, "I havn't
time to CO."
81 never agreed to co. said Bill Reese.
f" Look-a-here, fellers, / tell you we can Gu
mulate that ere honey, and Of ysu fellers are
sfeerd to go, / can find somebody that ain't. :"
This left-hander at their ,ourage set them to
warding of with other excuses.
81 m not afeerd to go, said Jed, "but may
be Robson is Union man, and il wouldn't do
you know"
"Not by a dernd sight, he amt He's one
of these cussed neutral Secesh that's ten times
wuss than an out-an-outer. He carries news
to Greenbrier camp, and I'll prove it on him
afore q week"
"But, then" interposed Bill, "we can't get
past the camp guards; and if we could, it looks
q little too much like steslin'"
"Gittin' past the guards amt common
amusement" said Jack; jist say you'll go,
and the honey is Ourn. And as to the moral
pint, wen 60 'cordin' to law and custom, you
know. Fust, demandin' of the Secesh bees TO
take the oath, they refusin', we arrest them
and confscate their property, All fair and
legal, you see. What's steaIin' in times o.
peace is con6scatin' and 'cumulatin' in time
O. war. For stealin' you go to Jail, but for Gu
mulstin' you git promoted So, you see, in a
moral pint of view it's intirely different"
Their qzalms Of conscience being thus salts
fsetorily disposed of, and Jack having insured
their hides against the hounds, they agreed to
90 il he would get pass to take them through
the guard lines.
"come right along, then, +" said jack, and
they followed him to q remote beat where was
walking, to and fro, German sentinel, who
could not read English. After the usual chal-
lenge Jack advanced, and, drawing from the
folds Of his pockethook a erumpled paper,
read a. follows: -..-.....s
"Camp Cheat Moxntasn Summit, Va, I
October lS, 1851.
The guard will pass the bearer, and two
comrades, on very Important business.
Bngadier General MILRoY."
The German understood nane Of this except
the name and title of the General, and Jack,
to prevent him from calling q corporal of the
guard, looked very important, and made him
understand that the General wished the expe-
dition kept profound secret. The sentinel
defsrentially stepped aside, and they passed
on.
How in the dickens did you get that pass,
Jack ?" inquired Bill. 90
"Pass be hanged 1t was nothing but a
little note Robson sent up to the General
t'other day by me, about the boys stesIin'
from him. Yes, give it to him much"
But what does the note say 2; eagerly In
suired Bill. '-'-..
Why, ii says as how if ths Ginrsl lows any
Of the soldiers TO come stealin' about him, bis
dogs shouldn't lesve har nor hide of EN-. BE
done it to skser me, as he noticed me syin'
Of his beehive. I TUX the hint and the note
and told him like as not some Of the boys
would be down this very day. and mebbe steal
his beehive or s0methin' Says he, edo you
see them?' pintin' at his dogs. Says !, q
believe see EN- Says he, one o. them Will
tear the hind legs of man the fast jerk, ef /
tell 'sm to- Says 1, keep sharp look out, >
and mentioned to him specially to keep his
eyes peeled today" -
BIZ and Jed slapped --...-
"Jsck," said Bill, my opinion is you're
trying TO git US into al infernsl scrape."
Mary time, fellers; nary time L jist wanted
the Secesh euss 70 understRnd that Jack Phil
lips 'cumulate that beehive if him and his dogs
was a-stradale Of It. / tell You, pom honor
that have the ropes all laid, aad that bee
hive is as good as Ourn without Gry scratch.
IN manage Robinson and the dogs myself
they shan't IS much as look towards you.
After some farther ssEuranees they proceed
ed, and when they approached the house they
crept quietly through the laurel to take a re-
eonnoisssnee. There sat Robson in the very
door through which they would have to pass
In order TO reach the beehive, and by the
doorstep lsy the two ferocious dogs. Appear
ances, certsinly, were not very promising,
but Jack quietly remarked, call right, old
Teller"
"Nos Bill, said he, ''you and Jed remain
here, silent and still, until you hear me hOl-
Ter, and then double-quick in, wrap a blanket
around the beehive and bring it into the lau-
rel up the pint. You needn't be afeer'd OF
Robson and the dogs, they'll be tended to"
Saying which Jack started toward the river.
About two hundred yards from the house
was q footWay across the river, that part
fArtherest from the house being q single plank
The water was three or four feet deep, swift
and cold, and the banks quite bluff.
In about half an hour from the time lac
left bis friends, Robson was startled by hear
ing . squawking in the direction Of the bridge,
and looking up saw Jack crossing the river
with q chicken under his arm.
"Hola on there, you internal scoundrel 30
he shouted, "or I'll set the dogs on you.
Here Tiger, here MAZE" and he aud the dogs
started on run.
"'Tsint none Of your chicken, shouted
Jack, fsigning fright, "I bought it down al
the vidder's."
"Hold on, tell you!" shouted the enrased
Robson, and IN see whose it is, you Yankee
thief"
Jack stopped at the further end Of the foot.
way, and stood with his toe under one end o!
the plank, while Robson advanced from the
other, shaking his first and sxclaiming:
"Tn teach you to come here stealin' you
pilferin', scoundrelly abolition
KERsoUsE
Jack had dexterously thrown the end Of the
plank sidewise, and Robson and the dogs were
houndering. aud fighting, and climbing over
each other in four feet Of water. Jack gave q
loud shout, took to his heels, and, at the sp-
pointed rendezvous, found his comrades with q
hive Of rich honey.-WILkes' Sprrtt
u Experiments have been made at West
Point with q new projectle, made for the IL inch
Dahlgren guns Of the Monitor Alta distance
Of Any yards shot went through q solid plate of
wrought iron eight inches thick, and knock ed
over pile Of pig iron back Of It. The plating