354 BEE-HUNTING. 



' It's gone straight for that peccan tree,' he said. ^ I 

 can see a bee over a mile in a clear day, easy.' 



Another bee was served in the same manner, and 

 this took the same course. 



^ Now we will angle them,' remarked T. S., ' and see 

 how deep the tree is in the forest.' Saying which, he 

 removed his traps higher up the prairie, where his pre- 

 parations were renewed. 



This time the first bee took a course for another 

 point of the forest, and the professor pronounced 

 decidedly that it belonged to a different * gum.' The 

 next, however, headed a trifle to the right of the peccan 

 tree, and T. S. pronounced himself satisfied that he had 

 ' angled ' the bee-tree. 



* You see,' said he, ^ a bee's a cunning creature, and 

 takes a straight shoot for home when he's ready — what 

 we call " a bee-line ; " it's so true and straight, that's 

 where the saying came, you may, no doubt, often have 

 heard amongst us Western -folks. Now, where this last 

 one's line cut the first one's, and the second's at the first 

 stand that I made, we shall find the bee-gum; that's 

 what we call " angling 'em." ' 



The traps were once more put together. Again the 

 bucket swung upon his back; and we started in the 

 direction of the peccan. 



^ Don't you sometimes have some trouble to find the 

 tree, even when you have " angled " it so carefully ? ' 

 I asked, as we walked along. 



