24 THE PASTORAL BEES. 



holding .!s head high above all others, with snag, 

 spacious, irregular chambers and galleries had too 

 many attractions ; for they were presently discovered 

 filling the air over the garden, and whirling excitedly 

 around. Gradually they began to drift over the 

 street ; a moment more, and they had become sepa- 

 rated from the other bees, and, drawing together in a 

 more compact mass or cloud, away they went, a hum- 

 ming, flying vortex of bees, the queen in the centre, 

 and the swarm revolving around her as a pivot, 

 over meadows, across creeks and swamps, straight 

 for the heart of the mountain, about a mile distant, 

 slow at first, so that the youth who gave chase 

 kept up with them, but increasing their speed till 

 only a fox -hound could have kept them in sight. I 

 saw their pursuer laboring up the side of the mount- 

 ain ; saw his white shirt-sleeves gleam as he entered 

 the woods ; but he returned a few hours afterward 

 without any clew as to the particular tree in which 

 they had taken refuge out of the ten thousand that 

 covered the side of the mountain. 



The other swarm came out about one o'clock of a 

 hot July day, and at once showed symptoms that 

 alarmed the keeper, who, however, threw neither 

 dirt nor water. The house was situated on a steep 

 side-hill. Behind it the ground rose, for a hundred 

 rods or so, at an angle of nearly forty-five degrees, 

 and the prospect of having to chase them up this hill, 

 if chase them we should, promised a good trial of 

 wind at least ; for it soon became evident that theii 



