HAPPY 



thousands came, and in spite of our resistance they 

 forced their way into the hive and began to plunder at 

 random. Poor old Crip even mixed in the melee, 

 fighting like a veteran, while I, beaten and trampled, 

 finally lay senseless on the floor. 



We should have been lost but for the thoughtfulness 

 of the Master, who, returning to see that all was well, 

 found us besieged and overrun. He quietly closed the 

 entrance to our hive, and thus left us to clear it of the 

 marauders within doors, which we did promptly, al- 

 though at heavy cost in the lives of our brothers. An 

 hour later he returned and opened ever so slightly our 

 door. Although a few robbers still lingered and en- 

 deavored to force an entrance, they were easily beaten 

 off. In the mean time we carefully cleaned up the 

 spilled honey which had nearly been our undoing 

 and the battle was over. 



The night came and we cleared our house of the 

 dead. Scattered indiscriminately they lay friend and 

 foe many score of them. Among them I found the 

 veteran who had been kind to me, with the mark of 

 a lance in his breast. Certain it was that he had died 

 fighting bravely. I had found his body, and I deter- 

 mined to keep it by me through the night, and on the 

 morrow I meant to give a fitting burial. I remem- 

 bered a high knoll overlooking the lake and the 

 country round about, and there I said he should be 

 laid to rest. I told Crip of my purpose, and he ap- 

 plauded me, and together we watched over him. 

 More than once we almost had to fight to prevent 

 the cleaners from taking his body away. 



On the morrow, in the early dawn, I dragged him 

 90 



