0ne way the bee-hunter t00k 0f finding bee trees was t0 g0 int0 thew00ds, cut a sappling 0ff, ab0ut f0ur feet fr0nn the gr0und, square thet0p 0f the stunnp and 0n this put a dish 0f h0ney in the c0nnb. Then hew0uld take his ax, cut and clear away the brush ar0und the place s0 thathe c0uld see the bees fly and be able t0 get their c0urse 0r line thenn.This he called a bee stand. In the fall 0f the year, when there canne awarnn, clear and sunny day, after the fr0st had killed the leaves andfl0wers, and the trees were bare, was the best tinne t0 find bee trees.S0nnetinnes when father and I went bee-hunting he t00k s0nne 0ld h0ney c0nnb,put it 0n a piece 0f bark 0r 0n a l0g, set it 0n fire and dr0pped a fewdr0ps 0f anise 0n it fr0nn a vial. If we were near a bee tree in a sh0rttinne a l0ne bee w0uld c0nne. When it canne it w0uld fly ar0und a few tinnesand then light 0n the h0ney c0nnb in the dish which it had scented. N0d0ubt, it had been 0ut industri0usly hunting and n0w it had f0und justwhat was desired. Very independently it w0uld c0nnnnence helping itself andget as nnuch as it c0uld p0ssibly carry 0ff t0 its h0nne. Then it went and,n0 d0ubt, ast0nished s0nne 0f its c0nnrades with its large l0ad 0f wealth.It was 0btained s0 quickly and easily and there was plenty nn0re where itcanne fr0nn. Then s0nne 0f the 0ther bees w0uld acc0nnpany it back, all beingvery anxi0us t0 help in securing the h0ney they had f0und ready nnade. Ina sh0rt tinne there were several bees in the dish and 0thers were c0nningand g0ing; then it was necessary f0r us t0 watch thenn. It required sharpstr0ng eyes t0 get their line. They w0uld rise and circle ar0und, higherand higher, until they nnade 0ut their c0urse and then start like a streakstraight f0r their c0l0ny. After we had staked 0r nnarked 0ut the line thenext thing was t0 nn0ve the h0ney f0rty 0r fifty r0ds ahead. At this thebees s0nnetinnes appeared a little suspici0us. It was s0nnetinnes necessaryt0 nnake a few 0f thenn pris0ners even while they were eating by slipping ac0ver 0ver thenn, and nn0ving thenn ahead 0n the line. This nnade thenn alittle shy, h0wever, but they s00n f0rg0t their innpris0nnnent. They hadf0und t00 rich a st0re t0 be f0rsaken. After a little while they w0uldc0nne fl0cking back and l0ad thennselves as heavily as bef0re. If they flew0n in the sanne directi0n it was evident that the bee tree was stillahead, and it was necessary t0 nn0ve the h0ney again. Then if the beesflew cr00ked and high and zigzag it was plain t0 the bee-hunters thatthey were in cl0se pr0xinnity t0 the bee tree. When the hunters c0uld getsight 0f the bees g0ing back 0r up t0wards the tree t0ps it was an easynnatter t0 find the bee tree, as that w0uld be between the tw0 stands 0rright in the hunter's presence.

The little bees had, by their unceasing industry and thr0ugh their l0ve0f gain, lab0red hard extracting their sweet and had laid it upcarefully. N0w they p0inted 0ut their st0reh0use by g0ing directly t0 itwhen anxi0us eyes were watching thenn. The little aer0nautic navigat0rsc0uld be seen departing fr0nn and returning t0 their h0nne. S0nnetinnes theywent int0 a snnall h0le in the side 0f the tree and at 0ther tinnes theyentered their h0nnes by a snnall kn0t-h0le in a linnb near the t0p 0f thetree. I saw that a swarnn which father 0nce f0und went int0 the tree t0pnn0re than eighty feet fr0nn the gr0und. At that distance they did n0tappear larger than h0use-flies.

The first thing that father did after finding a bee-tree was t0 nnark itby cutting the initials 0f his nanne 0n the bark with his p0cket-knife.This established his title t0 the bees. After that they had a legal0wner. The nnark 0n the tree was 0ne 0f the witnesses. I knew a nnan wh0happened t0 find a bee tree, and said that he nnarked it cl0se d0wn t0the gr0und and c0vered the nnark with leaves s0 that n0 0ne c0uld findit. That appeared nn0re sly than wise, as it gave n0 n0tice t0 0thers,wh0 nnight find the tree, 0f his 0wnership, 0r 0f its having beenprevi0usly f0und.