52 THE HIVE OF THE BEE-HUNTER. 



claimed death, had it been in their power, to all their 

 foes, not, of course, excepting Tom Owen himself But- 

 the wary hunter was up to the tricks of his trade, and, 

 like a politician, he knew how easily an enraged mob 

 could be quelled with smoke ; and smoke he tried, until 

 his enemies were completely destroyed. 



We, Tom's hangers-on, now approached his treasure. 

 It was a rich one, and, as he observed, " contained a 

 rich chance of i^lunder.'' Nine feet, by measurement, 

 of the hollow of the tree was full, and this afforded 

 many pails of pure honey. 



Tom was liberal, and supplied us all with more than 

 we wanted, and "toted," by the assistance of Sambo, 

 his share to his own home, soon to be devoured, and 

 soon to be replaced by the destruction of another tree, 

 and another nation of bees. 



Thus Tom exhibited within himself an unconquer- 

 able genius which would have immortalized him, had he 

 directed it in following the sports of Long Island or 

 ^'ew Market. 



We have seen the great men of the southern turf 

 glorying around the victories of their favorite sport, — 

 we have heard the great western hunters detail the soul- 

 stirring adventures of a bear-hunt — we have listened, 

 with almost suffocating interest, to the tale of a Nan- 

 tucket seaman, while he portrayed the death of a mighty 

 whale — and we have also seen Tom Owen triumphantly 

 engaged in a bee-hunt — we beheld and wondered at the 



