io8 The Honey-Makers 



He climbed to the hole, swept the bees out with a brush 

 of weeds, and stopped up the hole so they could not return. 



"This done," continues Thorley, "down he came sur- 

 rounded with the enemy, resolved to revenge so great an 

 injury, though with the loss of their lives. They fell upon 

 him with the greatest fury imaginable, indeed affecting to 

 behold, but I durst not offer him any assistance or relief. 

 They charged him in flank, front and rear ; clung to him, 

 like ivy to the tree ; got under his covering, into his hair, 

 and under his clothes ; and stung him from head to foot : 

 he in like manner defended himself to the utmost of his 

 power, fighting gallantly and slaying without mercy ; but 

 having no second, suffered extremely. 



" It was a considerable time before the battle was ended, 

 and he had entirely disengaged himself, at which time I 

 suffered him to come to me, when hundreds of stings stuck 

 in his hat, mittens, etc., besides a considerable number left 

 in his body, the poison of which presently inflamed his 

 blood and threw him into a violent fever which threatened 

 his life. To bed he went ; the fever increasing, his life 

 hung in suspense for at least two entire days. Toward the 

 close of the third day it began to abate ; and being a man 

 of a strong and vigorous constitution he recovered, and in 

 a few days more was perfectly well, to the great joy of his 

 family, and other friends.'' 



Thorley beheved that about a third of the bees were 

 destroyed in this engagement. 



There are many cases on record of people being stung 

 to death, and Aristotle and Pliny mention that animals as 

 large as horses have been known to be set upon and 

 killed by bees. 



Mules are apt to suffer greatly from bees, being of a 

 natural disposition which forbids them to run when set 

 upon. When stung by a bee a mule kicks, and if it chances 



