Year: 1879

Farmer Metcalf looked out of the
kitchen door one fine morning, and dis
covered that eRe of his beehives was
gone.


He kept 6 dozen swarms, or more,
nicely housed in a long row of hanging
hives at the back Of his garden. Last
night they were all there. He stood a
moment, gazing at the vacant place in
the row with surprise and indignation.
Then he called his son:


"Martin, somebody has been stealing
our bees!"


The family were soon out upon the
veranda, all staring at the plundered
apiary, and denouncing the unknown
robber. Who could he be?


Browsing forlornly about the place
where their little house had been, were
several stragglers from the missing
swarm, and Farmer Metcalf knew verv
we'll what would calm the bewildered
insects and make their Intelligence serv4
him to good purpose.


A new hive was promptly hung in the
place Of the old one, and some sheets of
comb put into it. The bees very soon
took possession, and after waiting twenty
or thirty minutes, the farmer and his son
saw ''committee'' Of their number come
out and fly to e'neighboring cornfeld.


Of course they had expected some
hing like this. JOnce make a robbed
and wandering bee feel at home again,
and it RECEIVERS its wits, and lets you
know at once where its companions IN
misfortune are.


Farmer Metcalf and Martin followed
their little guides to the cornfeld, and
quickly found the evidences of last
|. nights work. The hive lay there broken
to pieces, and crawling over the scattered
fragments, and struggling on the ground,
d and climbing the standing cornstalks,
were multitudes of soiled and honey
.smeared bees.


Some we're rabbius their legs and
wings to clean themselves, and now and
chen one would rise in the air to fly back
to the house. There were other bees
with legs gone, bees with wings gone,
and bees half buried, paving themselves
ont Of the earth, and bees that lay quite
still-bees everywhere, and in all CON
ditions, living and dead.


Traces Of broad shoes we're seen, and
sigas of hard scufae in the soft soil and
among the broken corn. The thief Ger
tainiy had not got his plunder without
paging something for it. 1t looked as if
the little captiyes had made gallant
fight, and taken part of their revenge. 1t
remained now for their master to COM
plete,it when he found out the rest of
their story.


The remaining testimony was soon
forthcoming. Poking sbout in the mel
low DIRT with his foot, the farmers son
brought to light the paper in which the
thief had carried his sulphur to smoke
the bees: and stupefy them, so that he
could take their honey. It was the back
of an old letter, with the name on it still
clear and .plain-"Heman Treat


A little further search revealed q
handkerchief, probably the one the un-
lucky honey-stealer had tried to tie over
his face, and it bore the same tell tale
name! Such fiat exposure of himself
was no doubt, consequence of his rather
excited state Of mind after the evident
b|under in managing the bees.


Heman Treat was one of Farmer Met
.ealf's neighbors, and the discovery of
these traces of guilt against him was a
very disagreeable surprise. Tc go direct
ly and accuse hi1n would be still more
disagreeable. It was Sunday, too, and
that fact made delay more justifable.


The farmer and his son walked back
to the house, carefully concealed the
paper and the handkerchief, and agreed
to keep still about the matter till the
next mOrnlng.


In the course ofthe day Martin walked
past Heman Treats house, and noticed
bees flying in and out at one of the attic
windows.


Other confirming evidence was dis
covered that helped to fasten the crime
on the man who lived there; and when
Monday morning came, they called a
constable and made neighbor Treat
visit.


He was in bed sick, his wife told them,
and could not see any one. But thew re-
piled that their business with him was
urgent, and must not be put off, and she
Fas obliged to let them in.


They found The man sick enough. TO no