AT THE ISLES OF SHOALS 57 



strong, such extraordinary distances do these 

 seemingly frail and impotent insects cover some- 

 times. Honey bees from hives ashore make a 

 regular business of flying to the islands and back 

 laden with honey. Students of bees ordinarily 

 give them a range of two and a half to four miles, 

 yet these Appledore bees must come at least seven 

 miles and probably ten for their harvesting. 



At nightfall three great blue herons came flap- 

 ping out from the mainland to fish among the 

 kelp and rockweed of the outlying reefs. All 

 along the western horizon the soft blue line of 

 land began to melt into the steel blue of the sea 

 that the sunset fire seemed then to temper to 

 a violet hardness. The southwest wind had blown 

 the sky full of blowsy cumulus clouds that were 

 touched with fire from the setting sun, yet in the 

 main had the color of the steel sea, as if they were 

 the flaked dross from its melting. Then the sun 

 for a moment burned through the thin blue line 

 of land and set the sea ablaze with a gentle ra- 

 diance of crimson and gold that slipped along the 

 level miles and wrapped the blessed isles in its 

 arms, radiant arms that unclasped themselves in 



