i86 BEE-FJRMING. 



chopping, they collected some brush and moss, and, piling: 

 them up into two or three heaps, set them on fire, and 

 soon the rank smoke made the bees beat a hasty retreat,, 

 whilst Tony and his son, resuming their labours, soon. 

 brought the forest giant to the ground. For myself I had 

 kept at a respectful distance when the bees began tO' 

 attack, though near enough to watch all the proceedings. 

 As soon as the tree was down Sneed and his son built " a. 

 smoke," at about four or five feet distance all around the- 

 limb which contained the honey; and, this effected, the 

 philosopher, lighting his pipe, joined me. " I don't like 

 to kill the critters," he remarked, " though I want their 

 honey. The smoke '11 drive them off, and they'll soon, 

 fiad another hollow. Them as it don't drive off it will 

 only suffocate for a while, and they'll come to as fresh as- 

 paint an hour after we are gone." 



When the bees had been thoroughly driven off, we- 

 look some small biscuits, called crackers, from our pockets, 

 and, dipping them in virgin honey, made our lunch, after 

 v/hich Sneed and his son filled their buckets, and we- 

 started homewards, having witnessed for the first time a. 

 scientific bee-hunt. 



How thoroughly the senses of the back-woodsman are 

 cultivated the following quotation from a friend will show:. 

 " The forest hunter is compelled to cultivate his sight to. 

 almost the same degree of perfection that characterises the- 

 touch of the blind, and experience at last renders it so. 

 k^en that the slightest touch of a passing object on the 

 leaves, trees, or earth, leaves to him a deep and visible im- 

 pression, though to the common eye unseen as the path of 

 the bird through the air. This knowledge governs the 

 chase and the war-path ; this knowledge is what, when 

 excelled in, makes the master spirit among the rude inha- 

 bitants of the wood: and that man is the greatest chief 

 who follows the coldest trail, and leaves none behind him, 

 by his own footsteps." 



