HOW THEIR HONEY IS TAKEN. 163 



upon him than a skin of leather round his waist entered 

 a hole near the top where the bees were collected. 

 Here he found so much honey that a second man was 

 required to enter the tree at the bottom to hand it down. 

 It now became evident that though one Arab's skin 

 might be proof against stings, others were not so ; for 

 the rest of the party kept well out of harm's-way, and 

 showed a decided objection to offering any assistance until 

 the ever-useful Ibrahim came as usual at the right mo- 

 ment to the front, and amidst general laughter performed 

 this office. Here it was no laughing matter for him, for 

 whilst holding up a lighted torch with one hand and a large 

 pan in the other, the frightened and half-stupified bees 

 fell in crowds upon him, and, though making their escape 

 as fast as they could, many of them were not unmindful to 

 let him pay the penalty of intrusion by a passing sting, 

 that caused considerable contortions or splutterings, ac- 

 cording to whether face or body was attacked. Still he 

 did not flinch from his work until all the honey had been 

 collected, and then the magic word ' backsheesh ' made 

 him at once forget his stings. As to the old man, he 

 required no sympathy, for he is evidently one of the lucky 

 people in the world whom bees won't sting ; and whilst 

 everyone else was more or less attacked when examining 

 the comb, still covered with bees, he stood quietly by with- 

 out noticing the scores that crept over his legs and arms. 

 Both honey and comb are in fine condition. A good 



M 2 



