Ernest, who went to his work in his slow way, got up to it last, and
thus did not get more than a sting or two, but the rest were some hours
ere they could see out of their eyes. I took a large gourd, which had
long been meant to serve for a hive, and put it on a stand, We then
made a straw roof to keep it from the sun and wind, and as by this time
it grew dark, we left the hive there for the night.
Next day, the boys, whose wounds were now quite well, went with me to
help to move the bees to the new home we had made for them. Our first
work was to stop with clay all the holes in the tree but one through
which the bees were wont to go in to their nest. To this I put the bowl
of a pipe, and blew in the smoke of the weed as fast as I could. At
first we heard a loud buzz like the noise of a storm afar off; but the
more I blew my pipe the less grew the sound, till at last the bees were
quite still.
We now cut out a piece of the trunk, three feet square, and this gave
us a full view of the nest. Our joy was great to find such a stock of
wax, for I could see the comb reached far up the tree. I took some of
the comb, in which the bees lay in swarms, and put it by on the plank.
We then put the gourd on the comb that held the swarm, and took care
that the queen bee was not left out.
Pages:
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47