Grandmother Ruth objected at first and
went out to talk with the old fellow. "I'm afraid you'll let him get
stung or let a tree fall on him!" she said.
Old Hughy tried to reassure her. "I'll be keerful of him, marm. I
promise ye, marm, the boy shan't be hurt. I'm a-goin' to stifle them
bees, marm, and pull out all their stingers." And the old man laughed
uproariously.
Grandmother Ruth shook her head doubtfully; old Hughy's reputation for
care and strict veracity was not of the best.
When I went to get ready for the jaunt grandmother charged me to be
cautious and not to go into any dangerous places, and before I left the
house she gave me a pair of gloves and an old green veil to protect my
head.
Before starting for the woods we had to go to old Hughy's cabin to get
two pails for carrying the honey and a kettle and a roll of brimstone
for "stifling" the bees. As we passed the Murch farm the old man told me
that he had tried to get Willis, who stood watching us in the dooryard,
to go with him to listen for the bees. "But what do you think!" he
exclaimed with assumed indignation. "That covetous little whelp wouldn't
stir a step to help me unless I'd agree to give him half the honey! So I
came to git you, for of course I knowed that as noble a boy as I've
heered you be wouldn't act so pesky covetous as that.
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