34 



RECREATION. 



to the spring was not more than 200 yards, 

 the only land the otter had to travel for 

 many miles. Following the stream from 

 the spring through the pond and a small 

 river, they could reach the Saco, going 

 down that river to the ocean. Returning, 

 they could come up the Saco to the Ossipee 

 river, and follow by lake, pond and stream 

 to the meadow. Thus passed their busy 

 life until the hunter's bullet or the relent- 

 less trap closed it forever. 



The lake on whose shore I caught the big 

 coon has changed. Summer cottages dot 

 its cove-indented shores, while the summer 

 hotel is much in evidence and the naphtha 

 launch glides over its placid waters, scaring 

 the wild ducks, on a brief visit to their for- 

 mer nesting place. The meadow remains 

 as when I saw it, the wild grasses undis- 

 turbed by the scythe of the farmer and the 

 otters' highway clear and distinct from the 

 pond to the spring. 



HUNTING FOR HONEY. 



C. JURGENSON. 



Some years ago I spent my vacation on 

 'my farm in the foot hills of the Santa 

 Cruz mountains and as the locality is ideal 

 for hunting and fishing, I invited a brother 

 sportsman to visit me. One day old man 

 Smith, a neighbor, and a party of boys who 

 were camping on his place, invited us to 

 help them cut a bee tree. Armed with a 

 saw, an ax and a rawhide lasso we set out, 

 Smith being the leader of the party, as 

 he claimed to have cut hundreds of bee 

 trees without having been stung. 



When we reached the tree we found the 

 bees were in a limb about 60 feet from 

 the ground. The diameter of the tree was 

 such that climbing was impossible, so I 

 volunteered to be hoisted by the lasso. 

 This was promptly done, sailor fashion, 

 feet first sometimes, until I landed safe on 

 a limb 40 feet from the ground. I then 

 discarded my shoes and left them stand- 

 ing on a limb, as climbing was easier with- 

 out them. I found I needed some one to 

 help me cut off the limb. The city boys 

 would not allow themselves to be hoisted 

 so my friend Percy volunteered to go up. 



The lasso was then used for hoisting 

 the tools and one end was tied around a 

 limb as a kino of fire escape. The limb 

 was soon cut nearly off when Major Smith 

 suggvsteo tying one end of the lasso around 

 the limb so he and the boys on the ground 

 could lower the limb gently in order not 

 to mash the honey. I did not think the 

 lasso was strong enough, but Smith was 

 confident it was, so I did as he directed. 



No sooner was the limb cut than the 

 lasso snapped like a piece of cotton twine. 

 One end flew back and struck me in the 

 face almost knocking me out of the tree. 

 I had hardly recovered from the shock 

 W-hen I saw about a million bees coming 



back to where I was sitting. In about 2 

 minutes they made it so hot for me I com- 

 menced to look for the lasso, but it was 

 not there. I yelled to the boys below to 

 throw the lasso up to me. but the boys 

 were gone. I could just see Major Smith's 

 coat tail disappearing in the brush. I 

 begged and yelled for someone to come 

 back and throw the lasso, but a 4-horse 

 team could not have pulled the bravest of 

 them back. 



Then I saw Percy lying on a limb a few 

 feet below me with his face covered by 

 his arms and about a thousand bees taking 

 turns in making life miserable for him. 

 Something desperate had to be done. I 

 could not endure the situation any longer 

 so I ran out on the tip of the limb Percy 

 laid on, took one deep breath and jumped 

 into space. 1 landed in the top of a small 

 oak below and fortunately caught a limb. 

 From there I soon reached the ground. 

 Percy at once followed my example and 

 was equally successful. 



I then made for the brush where the 

 other boys were hiding. There I had my 

 revenge. Smith's dog went to the tree 

 and the bees took after him. He gave one 

 howl and ran to his master for protection. 

 The bees promptly followed the dog and 

 on discovering his master's hiding place 

 they gaily attacked him also. Smith dashed 

 through the brush, hitting first his left 

 ear, then his right, cursing the dog at every 

 jump and coaxing him to stay away; but 

 the dog stayed with him and the bees with 

 both of them. 



My shoes were still in the tree, but I did 

 not care to call on the bees again. As I 

 had no oiher way to get the shoes down 

 I left them, for the bees to take revenge on, 

 and plodded home without them, wiser but 

 in no good humor. 



