THE LIFE OF A BEE 



and then over the bottom-board to a point where a 

 bridge of wax stretched downward within his reach. 

 Up it he scampered, with me at his heels, until he came 

 to the very spot where the workers had been building 

 cells the night before. Finding one to his liking, he 

 buried himself in it, and in a moment had emptied 

 his sac, depositing the honey at the bottom of the 

 cell. Before I could turn around from inspecting what 

 he had done he had gone. He appeared delighted to 

 think he had been one of the first to return with a 

 load, and as he went out I heard him calling aloud to 

 his fellows to follow him, for he had found a new rich 

 harvest field. 



I hurried along and reached the alighting-board in 

 time to see him fly, closely pursued by half-a-dozen 

 eager workers. I rambled about on the alighting-board, 

 constantly buzzing my wings for I knew not what rea- 

 son, when I overheard one say: 



"There's that Happy again!" 



It made no difference to me, for I was determined to 

 stay to watch the incoming bees, and presently the 

 worker I had followed inside returned and, at the brief- 

 est intervals, those that had gone with him. And now 

 a real sensation was astir. These half-a-dozen all began 

 to cry aloud: 



" Hurry hurry honey honey. " 



In the briefest space a multitude was flying over the 

 field to I knew not what rich storehouse. Indeed, 

 every worker, on returning, was told the great news, and 

 from one I gathered that a colony was being robbed, 

 that something tremendous had happened. The Queen 

 had died! 



31 



