Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-10-21

was thought, might overtake the httn-
tiers, and if they CHANGED to be observed
might help to assure them that they
were on the right trail. 1t was FORTH
nate provision, for the party had walk
ed scarcely a quarter of mile before
they lost sight for time of the greet
tree which was guiding them. They
were at loss for their cotrse and pans-
ed irresolute.-Justt then a sharp buzz
struck Suthefland's car, and moment
later bee few over his head and set
the party right. They stumbled over
the rough ground, now and then wading
in swamps and again pushing their way
through heavy brush, but always straight
ahead without a swerve. Many times
they fell into doubt, but at such times
they did not reckleslessly go on, but
waited for bee to guide them. Once,
after a prolonged pause,n bee was seen
anu IL OS0''hC hCCSoodi " lSho tHO al
Turing sugar and honeycomb to attract
new guides. This was Successful. AT
the end of mile, or perhaps more, the
hunters emerHtd from some underbrush
through which they had slowly made
path to comparatively open piece of
wood, through which they could see on
an opposite hill the big tree that Dixon
had originally chosen fora guide. Their
progress thenceforth was easy, but mark
ed with great care, for the hive might
be between them and the big tree, or
in the tree itself, or in some place still
further ONT might be in log or in
stump, or in cleft of rocks, and the
greatesti matcftttness was demanded.
The hunters therefore walked slowly,
Sutherland keeping sharp lookout on
the right and Dixon on the left, while
Kimbal held the party straight to its
course. 1t was then growing late, the
bees had stopped flying, and dusk was
gathering. ats the best time to clean
out the hive" said Sutherland, "for the
bees will not be lively, but we have got
to find them pretty quick, that's certain.
and he looked anxiously at the sun, that
was already half hidden behind the hills.
clark! what's that?' exclaimed Dixon,
at that moment raising his hand to his
ear and stopping suddenly and sharply.
''It's bees, or I'm niger" continued
he confidently after briet hesitation. And
all, standing quietly, listened 10 pecu,-
liar sound, half buzz, half rustic, which
seemed to come from a medium sized
oak, not five feet from where Dixon was
standing. So far as could be seen, the
oak was strong, thrifty and without a
mark upon it, but Sutherland upon goo
ing to its other side found hole large
enough to admit mans fist, just under
the lower branches. For prudential rea-
sons he did not put his fist into the hole
All around it the bark was slightly dis
colored, being turned to yellowish
brown. 'It's bees nest, boys, sure"
said Kimbal, whose experience in bees
hunting was wider than that of any of
his companions; and now the next thing
is to get the honey
To do this it would have been wiser
to wait until it was later, when the bees
would be benumbled by the chilliness of
the night air, but the hunters were sup
peerless and long way from home, and
we're too impatient to delay. suther-
land unwrapped small package Of
birthstone which he took from his pock-
ct, and after rolling some of it up in q
handful of dry leaves, he lit the ball in
to which he had moulded them, and
thrust it blazing into the iiiouth of the
hive. For moment there was loud
and angry buzzlng, which gradually
subsidized as the fumes of the burning
birthstone penetrated to every cell, and
finally died away. Then, with an axe,
the hunters in turn made the oak chips
fly from the base of the tree. 1t was
not large tree, the trunk being per-
haps fifteen inches through, and height
not more than fifty feet; and under the
sturdy strokes Of the strong men it soon
toppled and fell. The shock DIS the tree
struck the ground aroused the bees to
temporary activity, but another dose of
the rhinestone lulled them again to
tranquility. There was little now to be
nothing but to cut the hole largs
er and to take out the layers of honey
which were undoubtedly there. The
tree for all its seeming thrift, was mere
" a hollow shell, and a few strokes of
the axe laid bare all the stores within.
Therewere eight layers beautifully arran.
ged, and following most convenient do
nestle architecture. The bees, when the
fresh air blew upon them, regained theft
life, and were disposed to defend their
treasure, but the hunters quickly seized
it, one cake after another, and without
waiting to pack it, hurriedly ran to what
they deemed a safe distance. Then
they opened some covered pals, and
were carefully storing the honey away,
when sharp, angry buzz, which mo.
ment later was doubled and trebled,