68 THE hu:ntee and trapper. 



early for hunting "bees, and they don't care much about 

 your honey, because there are so many swamp flowers for 

 them to gather from, and you must get somethmg they 

 like better. Take corn cobs (without the corn,) and lay 

 them lengthwise in a trough, and pour a little chamber 

 lye or urine upon them, and let it stand out of doors for a 

 day or two, when the bees will come to it and fill them- 

 selves at this season more eagerly than with honey. 



Now lie down on your back so that you can see them 

 against the sky, and watch which direction they take. 

 After they have taken a turn or two they will strike 

 straight for home. The point of a swamp, or a high hill, 

 will sometimes make them curve a little, but otherwise 

 they will strike a hee line^ as the saying is. When you 

 are sure which way they go, set one stake with the top 

 painted white, to enable you to see them better, at the 

 place where you stand, and another at the point over 

 which they disappeared. By these two you can take the 

 range for the third, and so on, and now you have your 

 line started, and have only to follow it straight on to 

 strike the bees. Two men can set the stakes much faster 

 and more easily than one. 



A surveyor's compass, if you know how to use it, will 

 answer the same purpose, but staking is very correct, — 

 only start right, and doiiH doubt the hses^ for they w^ill fly 

 straight, I assure you. 



Another plan is to set the trough farther on in the line 

 of flight, from time to time, until you reach the tree. 



