316 
NATURE’S CRAFTSMEN 
ing roar was produced inside the jug. Such a 
challenge! Pop went one excited soldier after 
another into the wide mouth, and the noise they 
made within, gasping and spluttering, only 
served to draw on the others. Finally the whole 
golden-belted horde were safely inside, or so it 
seemed. We learned not to judge by appearance 
after our first hurried dash for the precious 
honey! For there was always a second relay left 
on guard, and a second rousing, sometimes even 
a third, if the colony was large, was necessary. 
These, too, were quickly attracted to the jug and 
safely held. Then the honey cells and all the 
treasures of the house were open to our vandal 
hands, and sorry as I am to admit it now, we 
never saw anything but the honey. This we gob¬ 
bled up with relish, never even dreaming that the 
bumblebee secrets we passed by were even more 
delightful than the sweetness they had stored. It 
was years before I thought of looking into a 
bumblebee colony for the pleasure of finding out 
how they ran their affairs.” 
“ And the poor bumblebees that had been en¬ 
ticed into the jug, Grandfather,” queried Max 
quickly, “ were they always drowned? ” 
“ No, indeed,” assured the old gentleman 
gladly. “ We were thoughtless little animals, 
but not heartless. We always turned out the 
water promptly, and the bees, though appar- 
