The Coolidge examiner., 1936-07-10


let soul near it, much less touch
it. Am l right?"
Fright as rain! I'd wondered
what to do and this is itw
He turned to Nan, then, and his
| strained excitement subsided. He
looked down at her, smiling In
the faint light. She was more
appealing, more desirable than ever
d.. and Holt Stuart's words, with
all their incredible implications,
came back to him. He felt sud
| denly humble.
"There are so many things to
say to you, Man," he said gravely,
and saw her eyes drop at the quail
ity of his tone. Ezra noted it too
likely, and moved softly away. But
| Young did not follow through. ITO
night, though, there's only one thing
for US to think about, to work and
hope and pray for: that is to reach
the end of this trail we're on
After that :"
She looked up almost timidly and
gave him her hands. He stopped
on quick impulse, and pressed them
| to his lips. Then he went hastily
| out.
With Tip at his heels he disap-
peared in the night, taking the
road he had travelled thrice yester-
day, once on foot and twice in
Ezra's car; the road where he had
seen bees working in wild bloom.
An early northern dawn was al
ready dimming the stars when he
reached the place. He was drenched
to the hips with the dew that
clung to the grasses.
He spread his one blanket and
rifle against his side, Tips warm
body for pillow, slouch hat over
his eyes, snuggled down for what
sleep he might have. A vireo was
already singing, but he dropped off
and it was the sun on his cheek
two hours later which wakened
him.
Fireweed grew all about, rank
and tall, with it's light magenta
blossoms dropping and a-glisten
with dew; drops of dew that
cleaned like jewels in the slanting
sunlight. The sky was cloudless,
the morning very still and he NUT
tered word of thanks for that.
A fire of dry cedar twigs which
threw little smoke made his break
fast tea and broiled his bacon. AS
he ate he watched the flowers be-
gin to nod gracefully under the
slightest of breezes, saw the dew
disappearing from them, saw the
petals spreading wide. AS soon as
he had eaten he took the cracker
box from his sack and cut a hole
an inch square in the cover.
He smoked his pipe thereafter
and waited, listening, looking, the
| dog sitting before him with a puz.
zled expression, stirring now and
again and whining lowly and lick
ing his chops and gaping. After
all that had happened yesterday
and last night, Tip appeared to be
| thinking, this was devil of a
way to start the morning!
"HaI Here we are!"
Young was on his feet, then,
bending over a blossom that sagged
slightly under the weight of bee.
Busily the striped insect explored
that flower and crawled to another
and still a third and finally, locat-
ing what he wanted, squeezed his
head and fore parts into the petal
fringed nectar cup.
"Shove 'em. old feller |" Kerry
chuckled as the hind legs braced
and the bee twisted and strained
nightly to get nearer the precious
product of the bloom. "If bee can
grunt, Tip, he's grunting! Look at
him work.
He shook the bottle of diluted
honey and poured some carefully
inside his box. Then, holding the
open receptacle beneath the work
ing bee, he struck the spike smart
| ly, knocking him free, down into
the box, and clapped the cover in
| place
With his hat, he covered the top
and waited, squatting, while the
bee buzZed within, humping sides
! and top and bottom, angered and
frightened at this strange, dark i'm
prisonment. The buZzing was
constant for an interval; then
stopped began again; halted
hesitated and was still.
Found it," he chuckled. Just
like we found good old Mats car
last night"
He took up the tumbler, removed
his hat from the box and slid the
inverted glass over the small open
ing In the top. Then he sat down
to wait.
"Hi! All loaded up, eh?"
The bee had appeared in the
glass, crawling about the interior
intently, seeking escape. Carefully,
Young tipped the tumbler to its
side; the insect continued its in
vestigatiOn for a moment and then.
finding the way to freedom, poised
an instant on the rim and took