The Life of the Bee 
race perhaps, interposes here; and the two 
warriors, stricken with simultaneous terror, 
divide and fly, to meet shortly after and 
separate again should the double disaster 
once more menace the future of their 
people; till at last one of them shall succeed 
in surprising her clumsier, or less wary rival, 
and in killing her without risk to herself. 
For the law of the race has called for one 
sacrifice only. 
73 
The cradles having thus been destroyed 
and the rivals all slain, the young queen is 
accepted by her people; but she will not 
truly reign over them, or be treated as was 
her mother before her, until the nuptial 
flight be accomplished ; for until she be im- 
pregnated the bees will hold her but lightly, 
and render most passing homage. Her 
history, however, will rarely be as uneventful 
as this, for the bees will not often renounce 
their desire for a second swarm. 
In that case, as before, urged on by the 
same desires, the queen will approach the 
