St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-29
STORIES ABOUT FROGS.
A Leader Who Sacrificed Himself for
the Good of the Band.

A Leader Who Sacrificed Himself for
the Good of the Band.
In 1862 the writer was residing in the
British West Indies. His house was on the
hillside, and below it, at a short distance, was
stream of beautiful water 1t flowed round
piece of land, forming a peninsula On
this land stood the dwelling of colored
man, known as Father Wells, as noble and
true gentleman as ever lived. Up to IL he
was slave, and after he obtained his free
dom he built himself up until he became a
prosperous man. He had comfortable
dwelling, with a piazza around it, and in
front small garden. He had horses and
mules, owned drays, cultivated a large tract
of land in the mountains, and in addition
was a first rate cartwright, wheelwright and
carpenter. He was very fond of bees, and
had several boxes of them in front Of his
dwelling. These hives were ordinary salt
fish boxes soaked in the stream to free them
from salt and then thoroughly dried. Each
box was placed on a couple of bricks so as to
raise it from the ground, to give the bees en-
trance and egress. Whether the boxes were
prepared in any way inside for the reception
of the bees the writer does not remember.
Each was occupied by fine family of bees,
and much delicious honey, as sweet and pure
as ever came from Mount Hybla, was made
by the industrious fraternity.
A time came when Father Wells was in a
quandary to account for the disappearance
of his honey from the hives, and the evident
distress of his bees. The honey went, but
how he could not divine. score of theories
were suggested and followed up, but they led
to no clew. The writer was consulted and
other friends were called upon to give their
views on the subject. All this, however, led
to nothing satisfactory. At length, one
morning, Father Wells called on the writer,
and said that the evening before, while sit
ting on the front piazza smoking his pipe, he
had seen a number of large frogs approach
the hives. Without thought he heedlessly
drove them away, and they made for the
neighboring stream. The thought then
struck him that the frogs might have some
thing to do with the disappearance of his
honey, and he had come to ask the writer's
opinion. Aftera talk it was agreed that the
writer should spend that evening at Father
Wells house, and that both should watch to
see whether the frogs made their appearance.
At dusk that evening the writer and Faith
er Wells were seated on the front piazza OF
the latter's house smoking fragrant tobacco
and uuaffing cool Scotch ale. for the host
was no churl and knew how to entertain in
a hearty way. The full orbed moon was shin
| ing in the tropical sky, Illuminating one
side and the front of the house and the gar
| den.
After waiting for perhaps three quarters of
an hour. the watchers saw dark object on the
ground not far from the bank Of the stream.
For moment it seemd to rise and swell
and then again it became fixed spot on
the EARTH but nearer to the watchers.
This repeated again and again, and then it
was discovered that beyond doubt the moving
object was an immense frog. As it hoped
its body became blended with its sharpcut
shadow, and thus seemed to increase in bulk.
Slowly and cautiously it approached the house.
Then the writer and Father Wells made an
other discovery; probably two score of dusky
objects were followed in its wake, rising and
falling and slowly advancing, hopping when
the advance guard hoped and resting when
it rested. Presently the first frog crossed the
ground in the rear of the house and got into
the shadow of huge cotton tree. The others
followed the leader All then advanced more
rapidly, hop, hop hop and pause, as though
accommodating, and then hop, hop, hop, I'M
til they got into the shadow of the house.
The watchers rctreated from the rear, where
for some time they had been observing the
advancing host and took up good position
on the front piazza. Presently the leader APP
peared round the corner of the house and
paused, evidently to see that the coast was
clear Being fully satisfied that no enemy
was near, he boldly advanced, followed by
the main body of the army. Within two yards
of the hives the main part rested on their
launches while the leader hoped, with res
oute air, toward the center line. Pausing
moment, as though to satisfy himself that the
family slept he disappeared under the box.
The others remained in their former position,
motionless.
A few moments after the frog entered the
hive he was discovered by the inmates and
received with an uproar. Such din bees
certainly never made before. They buzz ed
and hummed and in fact, seemed fairly to
hiss and boot the intruder. Numbers ap-
peared on the outside, in the greatest dis
order and apparent wrath. The writer had
hard work to restrain Father Wells from go
ing to the aid of his bees. Presently the din
and turmoil increased and dark mass came
from under the hive. 1t was the frog, loaded
down with bees and with hundreds of them
buzzing around him and ever and anon
making dart at him. Painfully but reso
lutely the frog hoped away, all the bees
either cnging to him or hanging upon his
Il g., !.