e 
CHAP. I.] A “Byke” in the Wood. 39 
his boy-fellows to accompany him in his expeditions. He 
used to go wandering on, forgetful of time, until it became 
very late. On such occasions the parents of the boys be- 
came very anxious about them; and knowing that Tam 
Edward was the cause of their being kept so long away 
from home, they forbade them accompanying him again on 
any account. When he asked them to go with him a bird- 
nesting, their answer usually was, “ Wha wad gang wi’ you? 
Ye never come hame!’ Even when Tom did get any boys 
to follow him, he usually returned alone. 
On one occasion he got some boys to accompany him to 
a wood at Polmuir, about two miles from town, on a bird- 
nesting expedition. While they were going through the 
wood, a little separated, one of them called out, “A byke, 
a byke,* stickin’ on a tree, and made o’ paper!” <A byke 
was regarded as a glorious capture, not only for the sake of 
the honey, but because of the fun the boys had in skelpin’ 
out the bees. Before they had quite reached the spot, 
one of the youngest boys yelled out, “Oh! I’m stung, I’m 
stung!” He took to his feet, and they all followed. After 
they had run some distance, and there being no appearance 
of a foe, a halt was made, and they stood still to consider 
the state of affairs. But all that could be ascertained was, 
that the byke was on a tree, that it was made of paper, and 
that it had lots of yellow bees about it. 
This so excited Tom’s curiosity that he at once proposed 
to go back and take down the paper byke. His proposal 
was met with a decided refusal; and on his insisting upon 
going back, all the other boys ran away home. Nothing 
daunted, however, he went back to that part of the wood 
where the byke had been seen. He found it, and was tak- 
ing it from the under side of the branch to which it was 
attached, when a bee lighted upon one of his fingers and 
stung it severely. The pain was greater than from any 
* Byke, a bees’ nest. 
