The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-02-27
Bees and b airs
BY M. QUAD ~
Copyright, 1918, by Associated Lit
erary Press.
By NJ. QUAD

ana tnen ne laugneu III SnaMeidee'
way and said:
ITS story agln myself"
That's all right"
ut happened long time ago"
ut will be just as good"
"Wnal," he started In. lone Sunday
mawnin' arter breakfast the old wo
man looks at me sorter queer and
says:
"'Zeb, you know thar's camp meet
in gwine on over at Smokers grove
"'Mebbe do says i.
"'They are havln' a powerful time
hear
"Glad on it'
".Zeb, well take walk over to that
camp meetin' as soon as git the dishes
washed up. and we won't come back
home till night
1T would be time throwed away
but ives gwine right along jest the
same. she says.
1T was jest the season to watch wild
bees and line 'em to tree" explained
Zeb. "and figered on putin in the
day at that. told the old woman so
and asked her to go on alone, and SHE
turned on me with:
"'Zeb White. If yo' reckon to cheat
the Lawd and come out all right yo'll
git left. Nobody ever did it in all this
world. II yo' steal his day sunthin'
will shorely happen to yo'
"'But we want honey in the fall.
don't wer says l.
What's the good of honey IL 20
lose yo'r soulp
Nobody's gwine to lose his soul on
account of huntin' up bee tree
"'Mebbe not. Mebbe he'll jest break
his neck or leg or wildcats will claw
him up or the bars roll him about
The Bible tells about the fate Of the
stiff necked and obstinate. but yo
won't heed 1t. Jest go right along arter
yo'r wild honey. Zeb White. and I'll
go to the camp meetin' by myself. l
reckon YOU find out the power of
Providence befo sundown.'
''She went away without another
word to me. and fur half an hour
was good mind to foller on. ] didn't |
feel right about 1t tall, and my old |
dawg skunk away from me as IL he |
was ashamed of his master. didn't |
want to give in, however. and bimeby
l shet the doah and strolled off to look !
fur bees. l was maxim fur place
about two miles away. but befo'
reached 1t stopped to look at big
chestnut tree with holler In 1t. That
boiler was big 'nuff fur TO- men to
stand in. and ! was was lookin' in and
wonderin' why l had never seen the
tree befo' when | heard sunthin' NOV
IN behind me. l wheeled about. and
thar was a whoppin big bar sneakin'
up on me. could tell by the looks OF
his eye that he meant bizness. and it
was no use to try to bluff him. One
lie rushed and jest missed me. ! had
10 gun, but did have my knife along,
md when the bar tried to foller me
nto the tree slashed him TO or Eve
lines. He was no fool. He seen
lad the advantage, and he jest backed
,ff and sot down to wait. kept purity
Iuiet fur an hour. .thinkin' he'd git dis |
and go away. but he had 9th |
II plans on hand. When I stuck my !
lead out and waved my arms and yell
d at him he growled few times, but
lie didn't come foot higher. :
at was plain that was In bud !
vay." continued the old hunter. but t
didn't see what I could do about it. o
was in the boiler. and the bar was :.
utside. and thar was no show fur me
0 come out until he went away. 1t
um shutdown. and 1t cum night. and :
e was still thar saw was in fur d
II night, and / went to sleep. / woke =
p once and saw his eyes shinin'. but (
e let me alone. woke soon after !.
aylight and he was still thar. Not to
rorry you with perticklers. / passed c,
wo nights and two days and a half In Il
nat tree, and at last I'd hev given my it
1T arm fur drink of spring water. p'
, say nothin' about my hunger. ] was m
o longer a match fur the bar. ] was es
'eak and Eighty. and he'd hev a big ~
ivantage over me. However. I was 3.
yin to work up my courage to crawl
Ut and do the best and hev 1t over {
18th when Abe Holden. who was look
! fur his lost mewl. cum that way, c,
I'd the varmint made a sneak. My
,ice wasn't much stronger than
,by's. but managed to make Abe
,ar, and he pulled me out and helped q;
e home. The old woman sot on the
,orstep singin' n hymn. and as we a
i'm up she looks at Abe and says: "
I" Good evenin'. Mr.. Holden. Kin OF
Ike 1t that yo'r old woman is peartf co
:" Fairly peart. fairly peart. Mrs. OF
hite.' he replied. !,
And 20 pear TO hev stranger :"
it'll you she goes on. c,
NO. ma'am. It's Zeb. yo'r old man
+" Indeed. The last saw of my old
an be was gwine out TO find a bee ~
&c. Did he find itT ne
= He found boiler tree. ma am ~
a'Yes!' n
: And barr hi.
Yes? And what does he think ali
out cheatin' the Lawd outer his Sun no
" br
: He'll never do II ag'in. ma am. and :
I'm In a smart hurry yoll excuse me a
pass on
He passed on" said Zeb. with r
-rowful smile. "and the old woman -
a. go x1r,. 1htelav, hro4h { II =