GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 





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John f^ ^ART/zy^ 



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E olemont of con- 

 fusion displayc^d 

 around Alfaretta 

 when she entered 

 the rancheria was 

 just suited to her 

 mental condition. The people were so differ- 

 ent from those she met in her home life, and 

 appeared so frightened, that she hastily dis- 

 mounted from her pony and gave chase to the 

 nearest squaw; and it is needless to say that 

 the " confusion was worse confounded." There 

 was a stampede of nearly the whole population. 

 In their minds the ancient tradition was about 

 to be verified. The white squaw had arrived, 

 and to snakes they were to be changed. The 

 older men, however, collected in a group and 

 awaited with much show of dignity whatever 

 ordeal might be practiced upon them. 



Failing to catch the squaws, Alfaretta ap- 

 proached the group, flirting her riding-whip 

 toward them, shouting, *' Shoo, bad men, shoo!" 

 " We no bad men," said the chief. " We 

 much good Indian. We no kill, no scalp white 

 man; much good, much good Indian." 



" You good Indian?" said Alfaretta; "then 

 tell me where Is Fred Anderson ? " 



"Fred Anderson?" said the chief, shaking 

 his head; "him hard case to find. Him way 

 up mountain; you see him some time. Go rest 

 in wickiup, white squaw; we much good In- 

 dians." 



The idea of rest was a proper one for Alfa- 

 retta to entertain. The violent ride and ex- 

 citement had left her very weary, and a cabin 

 and a cot were gladly accepted, and she was 

 soon fast asleep. 



Since Dr. Hayden had been confined ^o closely 

 to the valley he had instituted a novel mode of 

 communication with the Indians. Upon a 

 prominent point upon the rim of the valley, 

 and on the side nearest the rancheria, he had 

 placed a vigorous colony of bees. This colony 

 sought nectar from the flora outside the valley, 

 and the doctor instructed the young Indians to 

 observe closely their movements; and if he was 

 urgently needed outside the valley they were to 

 dust flour on several bees; or if there was dan- 

 ger threatened, they were to use a red pigment. 

 By a combination of colors the doctor worked 

 out a good signal-code; and upon the after- 

 noon, soon after Alfaretta's arrival, the colors 

 read, " Meet parties at the entrance; danger." 



Alfaretta enjoyed a profound slumber in the 

 rancheria; and the women, finding no harm 

 came to them, issued from their hiding, and the 

 boldest peeped into the cabin to see the sleeping 

 white squaw. 



The purport of her mission was discussed by 

 the older Indians, and two of the older squaws 

 were delegated to escort her to the valley, 

 while, aside from the telegram over the bee- 

 line, two Indians were sent to the valley in the 

 early evening to consult with the doctor. Be- 

 fore the squaws left the rancheria that night 

 the Indians had seen enough of Alfaretta to 

 know her mental condition, and their fear of a 

 few hours previous changed to pity. Their 

 conversation denoted solicitude for her welfare, 

 and that Neo-a-ho-a, their great medicine man, 

 should exorcise the evil spirit that possessed 

 her. 



Alfaretta upon her pony, and the two squaws 

 trudging beside her, entered the mountains 

 through a blind canyon a little past midnight. 

 Dr. Hayden, with the two Indians, was await- 

 ing them in an obscure retreat near the great 

 balanced rock that guarded the entrance to the 

 valley. 



Gimp Dawson had encountered various epi- 

 sodes in his day's journey, and, but for the con- 

 trariety of old Jake, he would have overtaken 

 Alfaretta at Covelo. Here Prof. Buell and Joe 

 Splinter found him; and the snarl of questions 

 with which Gimp was trying to tangle the 

 saloon loafers was soon made plain by Prof. 

 Buell, with the result that the man Jim. locally 

 known as Slim Jim, and Pete Armstrong, who 

 made it his business to hunt, with loaded rifle, 

 for the mysterious man of Crystal Mountain, 

 made two more willing additions to the search 

 party, and young Armstrong, after an unsuc- 

 cessful search at the Indian rancheria, led the 

 parly directly to the old cabin in the obscure 

 canyon. Here they camped, and posted their 

 watchers at various points. Gimp, the young- 

 est and the most inexperienced, was posted in a 

 little obscure passage opening nearly behind 

 the big balanced rock, and ending, apparently, 

 among the boulders beyond. " There, young- 

 ster," said Slim Jim, " ye can take a nap, for 

 nobody'll disturb ye in there." 



All was quiet about the mountain; for in 

 these solitudes, as night deepens, not a chirrup 

 of a bird, the piping of an insect, nor even the 

 rustle of a leaf, is heard. 



