The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-08-13
A Gunpowder Plot.

How many of my young friends who
are going to read this have ever heard of
or seen the Bald-faced Hornet Not
many, | will venture to say, unless they
have been in the country q good deal.
But everybody knows, whether he has
seen him or not, that the hornet is q
fierce little fellow brave, though small,
and always ready TO defend himself. Nat
uralists call him tespd chartarid, and he
is classed among the "paper- makers"
MS those insects are called that make
their nests of paper itself, or of material
which looks like it, fabricated by them
selves.
l will give short description of him,
and then tell you something that hap
pened to colony of hornets and some
young friends Of mine.
The bald-f faced hornet is about the
! size of an humble bee; his color is black,
with white bands around his body. His
eyes are black and glossy, and his face
looks as if it had been dipped in meal
which would not stick TO his eyes; and
this is the reason that he was called
"bald- faced" His nest is a wonderful
structure. 1t ismade of scraps of paper,
the fuz !" on fences or wooden build
ings which have been long exposed to
the weather, and the smaller lichens
which grow on the trunks of trees. This
nest, which is somewhat in the shape Of
the TASKS in which olive oil comes,
though much larger, is built, stem
downward to the limb of tree or the
rail of fence, and generally net high
from the ground.
Now, in my part of the country boys
are very fond of attacking and destroy
ing these nests, and they almost always
get stung i'll doing so.
Why boys like to do this, when the
hornets have done them no harm, l do
not know. ] was a boy once, and knew
then, but that has been so long ago that
l have forgotten ; so | will give the adj
venture already promised, instead of the
reason.
Teddie and Lud, two city boys (these
are the "shorts F" for their names of
counsel, were spending their vacation
with friend of their mothers in
the country. You may be sure
that they had nice time, for
there were great many things to in
terest them.
But, among the most interesting
things on the place, at least to them,
was delightful little darkey Gale ID
Bat" probably nickname for Bar.
tholomew.
BIT knew not only every hole and
corner, tree and bush on the place, but
had extended his knowledge to the sur
rounding plantations. He would con
stantly have some such joyful news tc
give the boys, as the discovery of 6
guinea-hcn's nest on the farm, the find
ing of brood of young cartridges, or {
splendid hole III the creek full of min
nows and catfish. He took advantage OF
his frequent errands to the neighbor
, ing farms to acquire information of this
sort.
Bat came TO the boys, who lay on theil
faces under the great oaks in the yard
and read for the fftieth time their favor
ITS stories.
"Marse Lud, done found sumthin =
The boys instantly changed to uprigh
positions, and said together "What 2
whilst their eyes glistened at the pros
pect of something new; times having
been little dull with them of late.
I" In de woods over yonder, tudde
$ side de broom-straw field" answered
Bat, "bustin big hornicks' nest, big a
half-peck measure. +"
t a" Well" said Lud, "did any one o
them sting youl"
: "Lawl no; I didn't tech de thing
: but thought I'd come and tell We all
{ so ye kin go over and blow it up"
/, DO you mean to blow it to piece
!, with the gum" inquired Lud.
"No, no !" sald Bat, quickly; "bloy
it up like you gwine TO blast rock. Pu