132 The Hunting Wasps 



a poultry-thief, a shady person or, at the best, 

 a madman. Should you be carrying your 

 botanizing-case, it will represent to him the 

 poacher's ferret-cage ; and you would never 

 get it out of his head that, regardless of the 

 game-laws and the rights of landlords, you are 

 clearing all the neighbouring warrens of their 

 rabbits. Take care. However thirsty you may 

 be, do not lay a finger on the nearest bunch of 

 grapes : the man with the municipal badge will 

 be there, delighted to have a case at last and 

 so to receive an explanation of your highly 

 perplexing behaviour. 



I have never, I can safely say, committed any 

 such misdemeanour ; and yet, one day, lying 

 on the sand, absorbed in the details of a 

 Bembex' household, I suddenly heard beside me : 



* In the name of the law, I arrest you ! You 

 come along with me ! ' 



It was the keeper of Les Angles, who, after 

 vainly waiting for an opportunity to catch me 

 at fault and being daily more anxious for an 

 answer to the riddle that was worrying him, 

 at last resolved upon the brutal expedient of 

 a summons. I had to explain things. The 

 poor man seemed anything but convinced : 



' Pooh ! ' he said. ' Pooh ! You will never 

 make me believe that you come here and roast 

 in the sun just to watch Flies. I shall keep an 



