"How do the Injins know the path of the deer?" he asked, by way of
reply. "They look at the deer, get to know him, and understand his
ways. This middle bee will soon fly."
"Which way will he go?" asked Peter. "Can my brother tell us THAT?"
"To his hive," returned le Bourdon, carelessly, as if he did not
fully understand the question. "All of them go to their hives,
unless I tell them to go in another direction. See, the bee is up!"
The chiefs now looked with all their eyes. They saw, indeed, that
the bee was making its circles above the stand. Presently they lost
sight of the insect, which to them seemed to vanish; though le
Bourdon distinctly traced its flight for a hundred yards. It took a
direction at right angles to that of the first bee, flying off into
the prairie, and shaping its course toward an island of wood, which
might have been of three or four acres in extent, and distant rather
less than a mile.
While le Bourdon was noting this flight, another bee arose. This
creature flew toward the point of forest, already mentioned as the
destination of the insect that had first risen. No sooner was this
third little animal out of sight, than the fourth was up, humming
around the stand.
Pages:
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499