Oak Openings | Page 7

when the
creatures have had time to fill up, after winter's feed. But I like the old
stock, and, what is more, I feel satisfied this is not to be a common
summer, and so I thought I would make an early start."
As Ben said this, he glanced his eyes at Pigeonswing, who returned the
look in a way to prove there was already a secret intelligence between
them, though neither had ever seen the other an hour before.
"Waal!" exclaimed Gershom, "this is cur'ous, I'll allow THAT; yes, it's
cur'ous--but we've got an article at Whiskey Centre that'll put the
sweetest honey bee ever suck'd, altogether out o' countenance!"
"An article of which you suck your share, I'll answer for it, judging by
the sign you carry between the windows of your face," returned Ben,
laughing; "but hush, men, hush. That first bee is filled, and begins to
think of home. He'll soon be off for HONEY Centre, and I must keep
my eye on him. Now, stand a little aside, friends, and give me room for
my craft."
The men complied, and le Bourdon was now all intense attention to his
business. The bee first taken had, indeed, filled itself to satiety, and at
first seemed to be too heavy to rise on the wing. After a few moments
of preparation, however, up it went, circling around the spot, as if

uncertain what course to take. The eye of Ben never left it, and when
the insect darted off, as it soon did, in an air-line, he saw it for fifty
yards after the others had lost sight of it. Ben took the range, and was
silent fully a minute while he did so.
"That bee may have lighted in the corner of yonder swamp," he said,
pointing, as he spoke, to a bit of low land that sustained a growth of
much larger trees than those which grew in the "opening," "or it has
crossed the point of the wood, and struck across the prairie beyond, and
made for a bit of thick forest that is to be found about three miles
further. In the last case, I shall have my trouble for nothing."
"What t'other do?" demanded Elksfoot, with very obvious curiosity.
"Sure enough; the other gentleman must be nearly ready for a start, and
we'll see what road HE travels. 'Tis always an assistance to a
bee-hunter to get one creature fairly off, as it helps him to line the next
with greater sartainty."
Ben WOULD say acTYVE, and SARtain, though he was above saying
creatoore, or creatur'. This is the difference between a Pennsylvanian
and a Yankee. We shall not stop, however, to note all these little
peculiarities in these individuals, but use the proper or the peculiar
dialect, as may happen to be most convenient to ourselves.
But there was no time for disquisition, the second bee being now ready
for a start. Like his companion, this insect rose and encircled the stump
several times, ere it darted away toward its hive, in an air-line. So small
was the object, and so rapid its movement, that no one but the
bee-hunter saw the animal after it had begun its journey in earnest. To
HIS disappointment, instead of flying in the same direction as the bee
first taken, this little fellow went buzzing off fairly at a right angle! It
was consequently clear that there were two hives, and that they lay in
very different directions.
Without wasting his time in useless talk, le Bourdon now caught
another bee, which was subjected to the same process as those first
taken. When this creature had filled it-self, it rose, circled the stump as

usual, as if to note the spot for a second visit, and darted away, directly
in a line with the bee first taken. Ben noted its flight most accurately,
and had his eye on it, until it was quite a hundred yards from the stump.
This he was enabled to do, by means of a quick sight and long practice.
"We'll move our quarters, friends," said Buzzing Ben, good- humoredly,
as soon as satisfied with this last observation, and gathering together
his traps for a start. "I must angle for that hive, and I fear it will turn out
to be across the prairie, and quite beyond my reach for to-day."
The prairie alluded to was one of those small natural meadows, or
pastures, that are to be found in Michigan, and may have contained four
or five thousand acres of open land. The heavy timber of the swamp
mentioned, jutted into it, and the point to be determined was, to
ascertain whether the bees had flown OVER these trees, toward which
they had certainly gone in an air-line, or whether they had