NOVEMBER 1, 1912 



689 



once there was a sharp crack, and the 

 horses snorted and jumj^ed in alarm. I 

 called to Bert, ''Into the ditch! quick! The 

 chain is broken. Get into the ditch or the 

 load is lost !" 



Bert managed to make the ditch, and the 

 load was saved for the present. Bert 

 climbed down, discouraged. 



"This is a fine fix," said he. "The chain 

 is broken, and not a soul around here that 

 1 know. I wish I had never started." 



I was not feeling so bad, and hunted 

 up some fence wire with which we fixed up 

 the chain, and on we went with reneAved 

 courage. Our course led straight through 

 the town; and once when we were well 

 through it, we took the State Road direct 

 for the upper country, and toward Galen 

 Hill. The load seemed to be charmed — 

 every thing was going nicely, and the 

 horses stepped along as they had not done 

 at all before. As we reached the foot of 

 the rise the sun was just peeping up above 

 the eastern hills. We thought a rest would 

 be a good thing, and so we halted and 

 insiaected the load. It was. a sorry sight. 

 It looked just as if som.e one had taken 

 a stick and stirred the whole load of hives 

 and truck into a tangled mess. 



But the worst of our evils just began 

 to manifest itself; for with the broad day- 

 light, every once in a while a bee would 

 escape and flit in an uncertain way about 

 the wagon. The higher the sun rose, the 

 more the bees got out, till Ave were really 

 at our wit's end to know what to do. If 

 we stayed there in the road Ave Avould 

 block up the traffic, and that Avould not 

 do. If Ave went ahead Ave Avere sure to 

 be in trouble; for Avith twenty miles to go, 

 and thirty colonies of angry bees to man- 

 age, Ave had our hands full. 



But standing still Avas not going to 

 help, so I said, "Come on, Bert. I don't 

 believe Ave can get very far Avith such a 

 load ; but Ave can try, and may be the bees 

 will not bother very much." So the horses 

 Avere hitched on again, our bee smudges 

 Avere lighted, and the Avar commenced. 



Galen Hill is about three miles long, but 

 not very steep. We made the ascent 

 slowly, one driving and the other sending 

 great clouds of smoke on the bees. By the 

 time Ave reached the top, the bees Avere 

 under control and our prospects looked 

 brighter. Bert and I both thought that 

 our difficulties had been sui'mounted as 

 Ave triumphantly droA'e through Galen. 



The village passed, the leAcl road lay 

 before us. Suddenly, Avithout any warn- 

 ing, something struck me a sharp blow on 

 the face and I felt a burning prick. At 



the same moment Bert ducked and fought 

 the air. "Where did that bee come from?" 

 I yelled. "They're getting out. Smoke 

 'em! smoke 'em! Can't youf 



Just then another Adeious insect got me 

 on the hand, and then another and an- 

 other. A thin stream of yelloAV bees Avas 

 leaking from the hives. Bert snatched up 

 the smoker and began to do his best, but 

 all too late. One of the horses jumped 

 and plunged sideAvise. Instantly I drojjped 

 on the Avhiffletree and pulled the bolt, with 

 not a second to si^are, for the horses leaped 

 and Avould have bolted, but Bert grabbed 

 one b}^ the head and- I the other, and so 

 we got them aAvay from the Avagon. They 

 were almost crazy with the stings, but Bert 

 brushed some of the creatures aAvay from 

 their ears, and they became less restive. 

 Little by little we gained on the bees, till 

 the horses recovered their senses. When 

 all Avas quiet we stabled them in a neigh- 

 boring barn and turned our attention to 

 the bees. 



The Avagon was where we had left it, in 

 the middle of the road, and the bees fly- 

 ing all about it. The air seemed full of 

 them. As we came up, how they did sting! 

 I saAv the load was blocking the highway^ 

 and so by pulling and pushing we got it 

 off to one side of the track and made an 

 examination. It Avas not one hive that 

 Avas leaking, but all of them in general. 

 The Avorst Avas that Ave could not find any 

 holes from which the bees Avere coming, 

 and yet they were coming. The ease 

 looked liopeless. Just then a team came 

 in sight. Here was a neAv danger. Would 

 it be possible for that team to get past 

 the raging bees? In a few minutes the 

 vehicle Avas right abreast of us, Avhen the 

 horses made one plunge, almost throwing- 

 the driver from his seat, and disaj^peared 

 doAvn the road in a cloud of dust. A feAV 

 minutes passed, and another came and had 

 the same experience. To help out we opened 

 the fence on one side of the road to let 

 teams pass by through the field ; but thi& 

 expedient did not relieve us entirely, for 

 some Avould stay in the road in spite of 

 our Avarnings. 



It Avas about noon Avhen a man came- 

 along, driving a spirited team, and tried 

 to get by our Avagon. The bees Avent after- 

 him. His horses shied, and then almost 

 balked. He was almost by Avhen there; 

 Avas a crack, and his Avhiffletree was downt 

 and also the wagon-tongue. This Avas si 

 bad job. In a second Ave both jumped to> 

 help. I picked up the wagon-tongue, and 

 Bert hung on to the Avhiffletree Avhile the 

 man urged the horses forAvard.. The lady 



