Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-05-26
WILD HONEY.
A Bee Hunt in Florida

Ii was one of those calm, clear spring
mornings, when nature seems too indo-
lent to rouse herself TO the ordinary rou-
tine work, but lies like 4 sluggard for
another nap ere she encounters the IA
tigues of the day.
Captain Sterne, having risen and pull
ed himself into his clothes, came out on
the long piazza, doused his face in a
basin of fresh water, scrubbed himself
vigorously with a coarse towel and
made few half-hearted passes at his
shaggy locks, tugged at his brown beard,
and with squint at the sun he remark
ed:
Its pretty fine morning, and l
think it's mighty good time to look
after my bee bait. Wouldn't you like
to go 'long with me and help me course
some bees?"
''Of course" 1 answered, lit would
afford me great pleasure" :"
We gulped our breakfast of brown
corn bread, dried venison and black
coffee, and set off across a stretch Of
pine barren toward the dark line Of
woods that marked the confines of CedGI
hammock. In the twilight gloom of the
hammock the stiffness was oppressive
The whole world was mass of bewIl-
dering beauty.
/ Thar they air, shore 'nough," eS.
claimed the captain, as we emerged
from the shadOwy forest into the edge
OF green glade, where the shadows
still lay on the green grass.
On half rotten stump was piece OF
pine bark, in the hollow of which was
chunk of honey comb, and a swarm ot
buZZing yellow jackets and busy brown
bees were feasting on this general free
lunch SO conveniently placed before
them.
'Yes, jest as 1 expected, they're
takin' the bait like good fellers. Now.
/ if you'll jist watch me I'll show you
how to foller a bee by his course. You
( see. when one gets his mess he flies in
| straight direction for his home. Tha,';
what makes people say bee line wher
! they mean to take a straight course from
one place to another. You kin aPuS
[ tell ef it's near by or far ways off by
/ the way the bee flies. Eff he goes
i straight up'ards, You may know his
home amt fur off, but eff he kinder
Z rises gradually, in slow, unSartin sort
o. way, you will underStan' that its
mile or two off. Now, watch me course
this ere one. He's most got bait, an
when he is satisfied he'll go off like
bullet.n
Carefully we watched the banquetel
rs he rose from the feast, poised himself
for moment, and was off SO swiftly
that failed to see him start. The cap
tain's more experienced eye, however.
followed the brown speck as it diSap.
peared in the distance, shading his eye
with his hand IS he gazed long and ear.
neStly in the direction of the cypress
swamp that lay beyond the little glade
on whose margin we stood.
"'Y yi." exclaimed he, "I'll bet two
bits l find that tree. It's one o. them
big cypress yOnder in the swamp. Come
ON, they're aplayin' cut this time o. day,
an eff we kin keep the course, we're
dead sure to find the tree"
Away We went, splashing through a
marshy savanna, and tearing our way
through the tangled thicket beyond
Quite through the swamp we passed,
and as we emerged on the pine level be-
yOnd, covered with dwarf palmetto and
golberry bushes, the captain stopped
| short again, and remarked: "Well, I'll
I be shot If | couldn't swear them bees
were in that swamp. but-hello! Here
they air agin. l thought that last course
was not straight enough up for the
swamp. Hol' on mint. I'll git a
fresh course f'Om one o. these critters a
suckin' these are golberry blossoms.
Most intently he watched the one Sc
lected for the experiment. The greedy
little epicure buzZed from one little
white flower TO the other, until he was
so full he could hardly fly. Then, with
trembling hesitation he arose, with evil
dent regret, beng poised for an instant
so as TO recover his equilibrium, then
plump into the air he went, disappearing
among the interlacing pine boughs.
''Ahain calculated the captain. Il
knowed it; L tell you l knOwed it. The
tree can't be fur off now, and I'll find il
in no time"
l had become deeply interested i'll the
proceedings now, and l watched the
captain with increasing anx ETY., as he
carefully examined every likely looking
tree. Suddenly, with an admonitOry
''Sh-h," he stopped and assumed lis
tening attitude. The suspense was pain.
ful. but | could hear sort of low, dis
tant roar, like the murmur of many vol I,
ces. That's them. Hear 'em?" said
the hunter, with his eyes beaming will
pleasure. ''Them's the droneS playin' !
out. The workers don't have no time
to play leSs'n they're agwine to swarm. !
Them dandy fellerS are out for frOlic |
and a'ter'ards they'll 90 in and flatteI
the silly old queen. Let's go, we've Us
good as got 'em nOw."
Very cautiously and carefully VT
made our way forward. At last the
captain stopped and gazed earnestly at
tall pine tree some yards in front. II /
leaned slightly and about 40 feet above
the ground there was well-worn knot. |
hole, at which the captain kept gazing.
.'Yi, yil'' he said at last. Il knOwed |
it. That's the tree. Don't you see 'em:
Come roun' this way where the sun I
won't blind you. The drones is done /
gone in, but l kin see the workers
winin' in an out. Them bees IS bees,
shores you're borned. But l reckon /
better brand tnat ere tree, so > tne mex /
feller that comes along will know that
it air done located by Captain Jeames
Sterne."
So he whipped out his pocket knife
and began cutting his monogram in a
smooth place in the bark. After much
pain and labor the job was completed,
and cranky looking ''J' and ''S' that
was rather top-heavy, stood out in bold
relief. The captain eyed his handiwOrk
with evident pleasure, and then We sat
down in the shade to rest.
"When it gifts little later in the sea
son, an we're certain of gIttin' a good
chance o. honey, We'll take the ole
'oman an cyart an ak in some o. the /
settlement folks, an We'll all come out
here an have bee cuttin'. From the