CHAPTER XVII. THE COMING OF THE HAIRY HONEY THIEF.
It did not take long for the honey gatherers to fill every receptaclethey had brought along with them. Bumpus was once more feeling a littlelike himself, though Step Hen did take occasion to warn him againstshowing his pride over being the one to find the bee tree.
"Honors are about even, I guess, Bumpus," he would remark, with stingingemphasis; "you found the bees, and they found you, all right, looks like.And you're swelled up enough now without letting yourself puff out anymore. We all admit that you're a wonder, and that you've sure got an eyefor bee trees; just as Giraffe here is crazy about the stuff. Look at himnow, would you, munching at that comb just like it was a slice of breadand jam."
"Yum! yum!" remarked the person in question, whose face was smearedalmost up to his ears with the sticky stuff; "ain't had such a deliciousfeed since I sneaked into the preserve closet at home when a kid, and thespring lock caught. I knew I'd be in for a tannin' and was bound to getthe worth of it first, so I just ate and ate, tryin' to sample every kindthere was. It made me sick though, which was worse than the strappin' mydad gave me. But this is the finest ever, barring none. Yum! yum! andmore to follow, too."
"Well, if I was like that, I'd just camp out alongside this old nest,till I'd scraped it clean, if it took all winter," declared Step Hen; whodid not happen to care particularly for sweet things, and therefore feltno sympathy for the other pair of scouts.
Bumpus had also tasted his find, and pronounced it prime. They couldhardly coax Giraffe away from the fallen bee tree; and in securing a lastcomb of the lovely clear honey, he managed to get a few more stings thatrather added to his ridiculous appearance. Step Hen nearly took a fitevery time he looked at that pair, nor could Allan blame him; for theycertainly were a sight calculated to make any one forget all his owntroubles.
The afternoon wore away, and those who remained in camp talked over thenext thing which was on the programme. This was nothing more nor lessthan making an effort to bag a bear; and of course Giraffe wasparticularly interested, because of the boast he had made in Cranfordthat he did not mean to return home until he had, alone and unaided, shota black bear.
"There was sure enough smell of honey in the air around that old bee treeto set a bear crazy for a taste, if he ever got wind of the treat,"declared Allan, when Giraffe asked him for the fifth time about thechances they had of meeting with Bruin.
"Mebbe he's over there now, fillin' up?" suggested Bumpus, who was notvery much interested, because he could not be coaxed to go all the wayback to where they had secured their store of sweets, even though sure ofseeing a bear diving into the honey tree, and stowing away greatquantities of the sticky stuff.
"No, it isn't likely he's abroad in the daytime," Allan replied. "He gotsomething of a scare when we chased him out of here, and I guess he'slying snug in some old hollow, where he can take up his quarters for thewinter. But when night comes, I think he'll venture out; and once hedoes, he'll sniff that scent a mile away; for a bear, like all wildanimals, has a great nose for odors."
"Then we don't need to go out till after supper?" suggested Giraffe."Glad about that, too, because I'm some tired."
"I should think you would be," Step Hen put in, maliciously; "after thatgreat sprint you did when the little busy bees tried to hand you theircards. If you could only make that fast time in a schoolboy race, you'dbe a wonder, Giraffe."
"Huh! glad you think so, Step Hen," grunted the other.
Time passed on. The afternoon waned, and supper was cooking; but as yetthe absent scouts, with old Eli along, had not returned.
"No use waiting for 'em any longer, fellers," remarked Giraffe, who, asthe shadows gathered, was anxious to be off, for fear lest the bear getto the honey tree, and secure a full supply before they arrived.
"Anyhow, we need not be bothered about Thad who knows how to get around,even if he has to stay out all night," declared Step Hen.
"Besides, they've got old Eli along; and what he don't know about theMaine woods you could put in a thimble," remarked Bumpus, not at allaverse to attacking the supper Jim had cooked, and which seemed to have asplendid odor.
Accordingly, they sat down, and hurried through the meal. Giraffe kepturging Allan and Jim to hurry up, and in consequence they were all donebefore it was actually dark.
Giraffe took special pains to look his big rifle over before starting,for he wanted to be able to depend on it when the time came for business.Doubtless the boy could not quite forget the slurs that had been cast onhis father's weapon, when the new up-to-date repeater, with its mushroombullets, had given such a good account of itself, at the time of thekilling of the moose; and he was fully determined that he would equal thescore Thad had set, if given a chance.
Jim declared he could lead them straight to the fallen bee tree, andAllan seemed to put full confidence in the guide. So they set forth.
Sebattis, Step Hen and Bumpus was left behind, to guard the camp and thecanoes.
Perhaps it would seem a long way to Giraffe, for he had gone throughconsiderable since daybreak. And those bee stings must have robbed him ofmore or less energy. But the prospect of big game buoyed up his spirits,and he trudged along with the other two, changing his heavy gunoccasionally from one shoulder to the other, in order to rest himself.
"Smells pretty strong of honey, I must say," he muttered, after they hadbeen moving quite some time.
This was doubtless intended to be put out as a "feeler;" and it workedwell too, for Allan immediately remarked:
"Nearly there, Giraffe; a few minutes more, and you'll see the tree wecut down."
"D'ye think he c'n be there?" whispered the long scout, nervouslyfingering the lock of his rifle, as he peered ahead into the gloom of thenight, possibly seeing a bear rearing up on his hind legs, every time hecaught sight of a dim tree before him.
"Jim says no, he hasn't come yet," replied Allan, also allowing his voiceto sink; for although they were coming up to windward of the bee tree, itwas better to be doubly cautious.
Presently they arrived on the spot, and found all quiet. Bruin hadevidently not reached the scene, though both Jim and Allan were just aspositive as ever that the old fellow would be along before a great while.
So Jim selected the place where they would lie in wait. It was closeenough to the broken bee hive to afford Giraffe a splendid chance for ashot. Allan had made sure to fetch along the little electric hand torchbelonging to Thad. This he meant to manipulate himself, and believed itwould be all that was necessary to catch the attention of thehoney-eating bear, and hold him in surprise until Giraffe could take aim,and pull trigger.
After that they had to remain very quiet indeed, lest some incautiousmovement warn the bear of their presence. Jim had seen to it that boththe boys had dressed warmly, even donning sweaters for the occasion;since it is a shivery job to sit for one or more hours of a cold night,hardly daring to move. The blood seems to become congealed in the veinswith the inaction; and once a shiver passes over the frame, the teethstart to chattering even against all will power.
When an hour had gone, Giraffe began to grow tired. He was more or lessapt to show impatience, at any rate, and had not learned the lesson ofcontrolling his boyish desire to have things happen quickly.
Allan was just on his left, holding the torch ready for action; and byleaning that way Giraffe could speak in the lowest of whispers.
"This is gettin' tough," he admitted.
"Keep standing it a while longer," came in reply.
"But do you really think he'll come along yet?" asked Giraffe,disconsolately, as he pictured Bumpus and Step Hen sitting so snuglybeside the glowing fire he loved so much.
"Both Jim and I think the chances are the old fellow's on the way rightnow," answered the comforter.
"All right, then, I'll just try to stand it a while longer; but I hope myhands don't tremble this way when I come to shoot," Giraffe went on tosay.
> "Keep your gun resting on the log, just like I showed you," said Allan."That way it won't much matter if you are shivering. And be sure andshoot just as soon as you're certain you've got his shoulder covered. Iwon't butt in unless I think he's going to get away. Now, close up again,Giraffe."
Silence once more rested on the scene. More minutes passed by--five, ten,fifteen dragging along.
Giraffe was just about to touch Allan on the arm again, and tell him hereally could not stand it, he was so cold, when he heard a strange littlesound that made him forget all about it. In a second, it seemed, hisheart got to pounding away at such a lively rate that he actually felthot all over.
Was that a real "sniff, sniff" that came to his ears? He strained hishearing, and caught it more plainly now; and besides, he could detect ashuffling sound, such as would indicate the presence of a large bodymoving along.
It approached the scene of the wrecked tree hive; and a minute later,while Giraffe almost held his breath with anxiety, he caught other soundsthat told him the hairy honey thief had set to work gulping down thescattered combs so full of sweetness, with a greed that even excelled hisown love for the product of the hive.
Apparently it was about time something were doing, unless they meant toallow the bear to fill himself with the honey, in the hope that while inthis condition he might fall an easier prey.
Then came a nudge in the side from Allan. Giraffe knew what this meant.He had been warned that when the time for action had arrived Allan wouldgive him such a dig; and that he was to prepare to take aim and fire, forthe little electric torch would flash immediately afterward.
All of a sudden the bear gave a snort. The intense darkness had beendispelled by a brilliant ray of light. Well had Allan judged the locationof the honey thief, for Giraffe could instantly see the bear standingthere, with upraised head, staring straight toward the point from whencethat mysterious light sprang.
His side was fortunately toward them. Giraffe thought it looked almost asbig as the famous red barn; and as he glanced along the extended barrelof his father's rifle he tried to control his nerves.
"Shoot!" came in a shrill whisper from Allan, who feared lest the othermight be so panic stricken that he could not pull trigger.
And obeying the injunction, Giraffe did shoot, the crash of the riflebeing almost immediately drowned in a terrible roar that burst forth.