HAPPY 



kept a continuous patrol before the entrance; and all 

 went well until far into the night. 



The Master with his little Shadow had passed among 

 us as if to bid us good night, and had gone. The moon 

 was now rising, and a mocking-bird in a neighboring 

 tree had been rendering melodies without number. 

 There was no sound in all the world save the mocking- 

 bird's song that ebbed and flowed in ever wilder 

 cadence. High above his perch he would soar into 

 the moonlight, and as he dropped again his little 

 gray body looking like a bit of mist he would almost 

 burst his throat with rapturous song. Often had I 

 heard him sing, but never had he so completely aban- 

 doned himself to the sheer frenzy of it and at such 

 an hour! 



"He's making the best of it, for soon the winter 

 will come and his songs will cease," observed a guard. 



"But what glorious singing!" added another. 



While we were talking a guard suddenly gave an 

 alarm. He had either scented or seen an enemy; 

 but doubt was immediately removed, for the raw smell 

 of an animal was borne in to us. We paused and pre- 

 pared for an attack. Our wings were buzzing at inter- 

 vals and our stings were ready to strike. And none 

 too soon, for in a moment more a monstrous ani- 

 mal stuck his nose into the entrance of our hive. In- 

 stantly we all flew at him, some landing in his face and 

 some on his body. But only those that struck his face 

 succeeded in stinging him, for the hair was too long on 

 his body. 



I was unfortunate enough to have been one of those 

 landing on his back, and immediately found myself 



96 



