Connecticut western news., 1888-02-01
tho distance of a mile or two is ef-

in March or April of last year, Holdens had pastured out ten hives at a point higher up the valley than any they had previously occupied. In point of fact, the new pasture was in branch of the main valley. Hither they had come up from their bee sheds next be- low, two miles distant, with load of hives, and built ''rest' for them near two large oaks-great trees with wide spreading branches that nearly touched the ground-on the north side of the intervale, at the foot of the mountain.
 It was favorable location, for on the south side the bees had the entire val ley, we'll stocked with flowers and towering shrubs, outspread before them; and so secluded did the place seem that the young apiarists judged it entirely safe to leave the bees to gather honey here, unguarded, for few days at least.
 Having seen to it therefore, that the hives were we'll placed, they returned down the valley to their shanty- house, where their sister and the Indian girls looked after the few simple domestic affairs of the household. In fact, it was quite their custom thus to colonize a new pasture, and thus they had met with few losses. Honey in small quantity, had been stolen from them on one or two occasions and once a number of deer, in their flight across the valley, had upset three or four hives.
 But on this occasion they met with a mishap; for on going to the place two CT three days afterward, to see how their swarthy "Italians" were prospering, Frank found ono hive upset, and another of the ten missing altogether. From the latter circumstance, as als O from certain marks and traces in the grass, resembling footprints, he at once concluded that some thief had Jumped" the hive.
 A few days before they had heard the report of gun several times, faint and at distance, and had conjectured that there was a hunting party, either of whites or Indians on the other side of the mountain.
 ''Some of them have probably been spying about and got their eyes on that row of hives," was Franks thought.
 Whether the rogues would rest con tent with the honey of one hive, or come back after more, was what no one could guess. The brothers, however, deemed it prudent to expect them again, and would have gone up and drawn the re- maining hives down to camp, if the two Indian girls had not been sent down to the postofice-a little settlement twelve miles away-with the mules, to get the mail and a stock of groceries.
 Roswell therefore proposed that, af. ter supper, they should take little shelter tent which they had, and go up to the new rest, in order to pass the night where they could guard tho hives. For by this time the older brother had so far recovered his health as to be the stronger of the two.
 As Ellen did not like to be left en- tirely alone she proposed toaaccompany them. They accordingly set of, talk ing along the tent, three blankets and a Winchester carbine.
 Arriving at the rest just at dusk, they pitched their little shelter tent near the trunk of one of the oaks already re- ferred to, and in uch manner that the ends of the dropping branches nearly or quite concealel the te from view.
 The night was warm and the place was quite dry. Accordingly they did not kindle fire, but made themselves comfortable with their blankets under cover of the tent and the sheltering foli- age of the tree.
 They had really no serious expecta- tion that the thief would come back :; and after time all three of them fell asleep, for Ellen Hollen had become quite accustomed to this free, out of door life. They slept thus for three ol four hours.
 During the early part of the night there was a moon, but the moon set to. ward midnight; the stars, however, gave some light, though every thing was rather misty and dim. The now somnolent and quiet hives reposed on their rest, few yards from tho tree and the tent. ...s
 At length the slecpers were suddenly reused by heavy thump, followed by { grating noise and a deep hummine sound from the hives.
 They all started up and listened in. tently.
 Something's afoul of the bees, Ros, , whispered Frank.
 Roswell, starting up, took the Win. chester and pceped out amongst the oak branches. What looked like tall "slouching' man was ia the very act o taking one of the hives in his arms despite the loudly buzzing bees. A: Roswell stared ia astonishment, tn, sturdy pilferer did actually clasp hi arms about the hive and raising it of the rest, started to walk slowly of with it.
 'It's some Indian, I guess, by tho looks of him, muttered Roswell. (. don't just like to fire at him; he don'r seem to have any gun. But let's tgo for him and give him good thrashing.'