Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1909-02-18

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they would swarm over me like light.
ming and sting me to death.
Twenty feet below me one of nv
mates began to hammer, shaking the
beam with his blows / was afraid the
jar might anger the bees into attack
Stop that pounding, Jim! begged
| huskily, as he ceased for a moment
| The hammering stopped.
: Then EXPLANATIONS of alarm and
sympathy fell upon my ears. and pres.
entity all work on the steel was sus.
| pended. ] could hear feet shufHin~
| quietly back to the bank. Soon W. 81
left alone on the truss, threaten
with a, death ten times more bor--b.,
than any tiger or snake could Unfit
Not daring TO move a muscle. no.
even to turn my head. I sat. as It
seemed to me, for hours, perfectly
rigid, staring straight forward at the
teu-painted end of the opposite beam.
"avering in the heat 30 feet away NV
brain was clear as glass, my senses
keen.
The sun struck fercely down on
my head, scantily protected by my
thin cap.
The beam was hard ana hot. 1
could not sit quiet forever. I stirred
uneasily. An angry hum rose. and
stitened. Some Of the bees were
above my knees. Suppose should
crush one between my leg and the
steel! Suppose they should creep UP
and cover my body and head!
I HANGING Of
bank. Somebody had borrowed the
cooks tinware in the hope of starting
the swarm. A wave of unrest ran
over the insects, but soon they settled
into quiet again.
The heat was affecting my head. I
felt fretful. irritable. Why didn't
somebody do something to help me?
But what? My teeth chartered. a
nervous chill shook me, and the bees
buzzed at my shaking.
The voices behind me stopped.
Something was about to happen. lis
tened. Feet came stealing cautiously
along the beam. What was going on?
Sit perfectly still
1T was Lancy's voice What was
he trying to do? l felt a consuming
curiosity, but dared not turn my head.
His voice came again:
Take full breath; then shut your
mouth
What in the world had my mouth
got to do with It? But l obeyed.
"A penetrating sulphuric scent stole
through the thick air. Then right
under my bee-swollen feet swung
small black kettle, suspended by a
chain round its bail, and filed with a
yellowish substance, burning bluely.
1t was birthstone, of which we had a
supply for fastening bolts in the rocks.
Lancy was trying to smoke the
bees Off
Back oscillated the kettle out OF
my sight But the swarm had got the
benefit of its contents and didn't like
them. An ominOus buzzing rose.
Their wings lifted, then settled back.
The scent was not strong enough to
start them.
Il took another full breath. To me
the strangling fumes had been sweet
for the relief they promised. Once
more the kettle swung under me. and
The smell was strong; with difficulty
repressed a coughing that threatened
to shake me.
This time the outer layer of bees
rose slightly and lowered over the
others. Some few flew wildly and
angrily about few dropped, stupe-
fed. 1t would evidently take but little
more to start the whole swarm. Lancy
moved up close behind me.
Again he swung the kettle under
the bees. They had had enough.
The entire mass left my legs. The
greater number few below, but stray
skirmishers flew confusedly about So
far. however, not a single bee had
touched either of us. 1t looked as if
we were to escape unframed.
Suddenly an unexpected disaster
happened. One end of the bail pulled
out. allowing the kettle to tilt down
sidewise. Out fell the sulphur in blue
burning, smoky stream. A moment
later the chain slipped entirely off the
bail; the kettle shot downward, leav-
ing only vanishing scent and a
swarm Of Infatuated bees.
"Lancy grabbed my shoulder.
Quick! For your lifel'
Il didn't need any urging; but was
stiff and slightly dizzy from the fumes,
and it took me several seconds to get
to my feet on the beam. Unfortunate
ly, too, l crushed three or four bees
that were crawling stupidity on the
steel
Then 1t seemed as if the whole
swarm struck me at once The sulphur
may have half-stupefied them, but
they hadn't forgotten how to sting.
I'll never forget my walk along that
narrow beam to the bank. The bees
were all over me in a moment. My
hands and face felt as If they were
being punctured with red-hot splinters.
Before I'd gone ten steps my eyes
were closed so tight l couldn't see.
I'D have gone off the beam head
first If it hadn't been for Lancy. He
had on gloves, and mosquito netting
over his head. But they crawled up
his sleeves and down his neck, and
Ctr In. HoI