^6 Next to the Ground 



entertained himself casually with them many 

 times before. But long looking required one 

 to keep unreasonably still — so still, Joe made 

 up his mind one had to be very tired to get 

 great diversion from it. 



Now that he was tired enough, he watched 

 and wondered. As to the dirt-daubers for 

 instance. Were they the creatures which the 

 books called mason-wasps ? They had the 

 true wasp-shape — were slim, uncanny-look- 

 ing, greeny-black, or bronze-black, with beau- 

 tiful gauze wings. But, so far as he knew, 

 they stung nothing but spiders — he had caught 

 and held them without provoking attack. Joe 

 could not in the least understand why Dan so 

 hated and feared them. Dan said : " Dam 

 dar dirt-dobbers dee des all de time ca'in' news 

 fer de witches." He would climb to the very 

 top of the stable to break up a dauber's nest, 

 and rub the place with yarrow. After the 

 rubbing, he stuck sprigs of the green plant 

 under the ridge-pole, climbed down, walked 

 out of the stable backwards, and turned around 

 three times upon his left heel before lifting his 

 eyes. 



Joe's mother also hated the daubers, but not 

 on account of witchwork, though she ad- 

 mitted their noise made her feel creepy. She 

 was a pattern housewife, so had no use for 

 creatures which littered her back piazza floor 



