118 FOLLOWING THE BEE LINE 
light, then discovered the honeycomb and started 
feeding. 
When it was completely engrossed in its feast, 
“le Bourdon” removed the cap and before long the 
liberated bee, having had its fill, rose in the air. 
At this point the hunter’s object was to note keenly 
the larger and larger circles against the sky-line made 
by the bee as it located the position of this delightful 
source of honey and then made its final straight 
dart for home. After this line was accurately 
determined, the hunter made a cross-line or angle 
by going a hundred yards or so further on, either 
to the right or left, getting the point of intersection 
of the bee’s line of flight and thus the location of 
the bee-tree. 
Aided by his calling, le Bourdon extricated 
himself from a very serious predicament with hostile 
Indians. He so impressed them with his supposed 
power over the bees that their attitude changed from 
one of distrust and hostility to awe and respect for 
this paleface medicine-man. 
The bee-hunter accomplished this by taking up 
the bees just as they were ready to take their home¬ 
ward flight. Holding them to his ear, he pretended 
they told him where they were going. The Indian’s 
keen eyes saw the bees circle, but practice had not 
