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up toward the fallen tree, as if charging the citadel of the bees by
preconcert. Their appearance was the signal for a general rally of
the insects, and by the time the foremost of the clumsy animals had
reached the tree, the air above and around him was absolutely
darkened by the cloud of bees that was collected to defend their
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treasures. Bruin trusted too much to the thickness of his hide and
to the defences with which he was provided by nature, besides being
too much incited by the love of honey, to regard the little heroes,
but thrust his nose in at the hole, doubtless hoping to plunge it at
once into the midst of a mass of the sweets. A growl, a start
backward, and a flourishing of the fore-paws, with sundry bites in
the air, at once announced that he had met with greater resistance
than he had anticipated. In a minute, all the bears were on their
hind-legs, beating the air with their fore-paws, and nipping right
and left with their jaws, in vigorous combat with their almost
invisible foes. Instinct supplied the place of science, and spite of
the hides and the long hair that covered them, the bees found the
means of darting their stings into unprotected places, until the
quadrupeds were fairly driven to rolling about on the grass in order
to crush their assailants. This last process had some effect, a
great many bees being destroyed by the energetic rollings and
tumblings of the bears; but, as in the tide of battle, the places of
those who fell were immediately supplied by fresh assailants, until
numbers seemed likely to prevail over power, if not over discipline.
At this critical instant, when the bears seemed fatigued with their
nearly frantic saltations, and violent blows upon nothing, le
Bourdon deemed it wise to bring his forces into the combat. Gershom
having been apprised of the plan, both fired at the same instant.
Each ball took effect; one killing the largest of all the bears,
dead on the spot, while the other inflicted a grievous wound on a
second. This success was immediately followed by a second discharge,
wounding two more of the enemy, while Ben held the second barrel of
his "shot-gun" in reserve. While the hurt animals were hobbling off,
the men reloaded their pieces; and by the time the last were ready
to advance on the enemy, the ground was cleared of bears and bees
alike, only two of the former remaining, of which one was already
dead and the other dying. As for the bees, they followed their
retreating enemies in a body, making a mistake that sometimes
happens to still more intelligent beings; that of attributing to
themselves, and their own prowess, a success that had been gained by
others.
The bee-hunter and his friend now set themselves at work to provide
a reception for the insects, the return of which might shortly be
expected. The former lighted a fire, being always provided with the
means, while Gershom brought dry wood. In less than five minutes a
bright blaze was gleaming upward, and when the bees returned, as
most of them soon did, they found this new enemy intrenched, as it
might be, behind walls of flame. Thousands of the little creatures
perished by means of this new invention of man, and the rest soon
after were led away by their chiefs to seek some new deposit for the
fruits of their industry.
CHAPTER IV.
The sad butterfly,
Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on,
And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed
For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet,
Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
SIMMS.
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It was noon before Ben and Gershom dared to commence the process of
cutting and splitting the tree, in order to obtain the honey. Until
then, the bees lingered around their fallen hive, and it would have
been dangerous to venture beyond the smoke and heat, in order to
accomplish the task. It is true, le Bourdon possessed several
secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed
to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire,
backed by a dense column of vapor. Various plants are thought to be
so offensive to the insects, that they avoid even their odor; and
the bee-hunter had faith in one or two of them; but none of the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]