OCTOBER 1, 1914 



773 



bees back there, built a fence of woven wire 

 four feet high, with a strand of barb wire 

 a foot above it, around them, and they were 

 not molested that year (simply because no 

 bears happened about, I suppose). 



One day last fall, some time in Septem- 

 ber, I think, my two sons, Charles and John, 

 went over there to introduce some queens. 

 Charles had about 80 colonies there, while I 

 had 25. About 10 -00 a. m. they were back 

 home. Coming out to the shop where I was, 

 Charles said that they had a partner helping 

 them with the beos down west. I asked 

 him if lie had any idea who it was. "Bears," 

 said he. AVell, I thought, we had better go 

 down and have a settlem.ent with him, and 

 dissolve partnership. 



We got out our high-power 30-40 rifles 

 and practiced shooting at a target, then 

 after dinner we took Ned and the buggy 

 and drove down. I wish the readers of 

 Gleanings could have been there with us, 

 and viewed the scene of devastation, the al- 

 most utter ruin of what had been a veiy fine 

 yard of bees — hives, covers, bottom-boards, 

 and combs, scattered all over the yard, 

 combs partially off and broken, all over the 

 yard, and even carried off in the brush, out- 

 side the fence. Things looked worse, and 

 there was much more damage done, than 

 there was at one of our yards after a cy- 

 clone had passed over it. As Charles said, 

 "It makes a fellow feel kind o' sick when he 

 first sees it, especially if he owns the bees." 

 We found about two bushels of bees clus- 

 tered on some bushes near by, and Charles 

 found another good-sized sAvarm hanging 

 on a bush off out in the brush. We hived 

 the bees, straightened things up a bit, then 

 held a council of war. 



We had to build a platform loigh enough 

 to give a good view all over the yard, also 

 for a short distance back of the yard where 

 Uie bears came in, on which we could sit and 

 watch for the bears. At one corner of the 

 yard there Avas a tall maple tree, about 30 

 feet up to the first limbs. The way the 

 bark was scratched off, the bears must have 

 used this tree for a lookout station. 



The two boys wanted to build a ])latform 

 up in the branches of this tree, but with 

 my rheumatic knee I knew that it Avould be 

 impossible for me to get up there, so I ve- 

 toed that. There was an old shanty near 

 the bee-yard, on the side opposite from the 

 one which the bears used when entering the 

 yard, the roof of which was sloping toAvard 

 the bees. I proposed that Ave cut a long 

 hole through the highest part of the roof, 

 then build a platform underneath the hole 

 down in the shanty; by sitting doAvn on this 

 platform all t!ie bears could see of us Avould 



be our heads and shoulders, and if Ave sat 

 very still they Avould not be likely to notice 

 us. This Ave proceeded to do, finishing 

 about 5 P. M. in the afternoon. 



After eating our luncli, John and I Avent 

 down to the brook for a drink. While on our 

 Avay back I saAv Charles standing Avith his 

 rifle (o his shoulder aiming out OA^er the 

 bee-yard. We stopped and waited a mo- 

 ment, then he loAvered his gun ai:d motioned 

 for us to come ^on. He said he had started 

 for a drink, when, looking out over the bee- 

 yard, he saw a bear Avalk out of the brush 

 ooming toward the bee-yard. He stood mo- 

 tionless until the bear passed behind a 

 clump of brush, then he sprang for his 

 I'ifle. When he next saw the bear it Avas go- 

 ing out of sight, back in the brush. Well; 

 you can just guess I felt pretty sick to 

 think Avhat a fine chance Ave had lost by not 

 being uj) on our platform; we might never 

 have another opportunity like that to get a 

 shot by daylight. 



We climbed up on our platform, and sat 

 there, ruminating on our lost opportunity. 

 Not daring to move to brush them away, 

 the sand-flies gathered for a free banquet. 

 Any one who has never sat perfectly still 

 for an hour and allowed the sand-flies of 

 Northern Michigan to roam at will over his 

 person, and to bite Avhen and Avhere they 

 will, has an expei'ience before him that will 

 not be wholly one of pleasure. We had 

 agreed that, if a bear did come, not to shoot 

 it at once, but let it climb the fence and up- 

 set a hive or Iavo, just to see it work. We had 

 sat there about an hour, feeding the sand- 

 flies, our eyes glued on the brush back of the 

 bee-yard, seeing nothing but brush, when— 

 Ave Avere looking at a bear, black as a crow, 

 hurrying along as though it was afraid it 

 Avould be late for supper. It came out of 

 the brush back of the bee-yard, and started 

 to go around one corner of the yard. John, 

 thinking it Avas about to go back in the 

 brush, raised his gun. The bear, seeing 

 the movement, stood up to get a better look 

 at us. Out from the corner of my eye I 

 could see that John was already aiming his 

 gun at it. I saw that, if I got a shot, I 

 must be quick about it. The rifle I had Avas 

 fitted Avith globe or peep sights Avith Avhicb 

 a very quick and accurate aim may be se- 

 cured. The bear Avas standing a little at one 

 side from Avhere I Avas sitting; SAvinging my 

 gun around, the second I had it pointed at 

 the bear I had a bead on its neck, and pulled 

 the trigger about rhe same time that John 

 fired, our two reports blending as one. Al- 

 though I had rheumatism in one knee so bad 

 I could hardly Avalk, I got down off my 

 perch and out Avhere the bear lay about as 



