lot him out of
existence.

While Steve was thus being rolled as a sweet morsel of revenge under
the tongue of the vicious Sarah, Brownie came running from the house.
Possibly he beheld his master's predicament and wished to succor him;
possibly he was animated by the spirit of mischief which seemed to
possess him most of the time. However that may be, he collided with a
hive of bees as he ran and upset it. Then swift as a flash he fled to
a large tree growing nearby and stood upon his little hind feet close
to its trunk, in such a manner that he was completely hidden from
view.

The bees, raging out of their house and looking about them for the
enemy who had knocked so rudely at their back door as to overturn the
entire building, beheld Sarah Maria standing rampant over the
prostrate Steve. The latter looked meek enough, but the former was
evidently equal to anything vicious. Accepting this circumstantial
evidence without investigation, the bees sallied forth in a body and
proceeded to punish the wicked cow, and in about one minute Mrs. Maria
was dancing a fisher's hornpipe of the most extravagant character.
With tail tilted at a disrespectful angle, she careened in such
fashion as to bring her flying heels close to Steve's terrified nose.
Meanwhile he lay still, watching proceedings with gentle amazement.

"Most extraordinary conduct," he said.

By-and-by, thinking the time ripe for escape, he attempted to rise and
slip away, but the eagle eye of the festive bovine caught his first
movement, and she pounced upon him so viciously that nothing but his
feigning to be dead saved his life. Just at this junction the kitchen
door opened, and Bridget, who had observed these high proceedings from
the window, put out her head and screamed "Murther!" on hearing which
Sarah dashed toward the house, but was back again upon Steve before he
had a chance to rise.

"Upset another hive, me dear!" screamed Bridget. "Sure a big dose of
bees will be good fer her."

Sarah Maria again galloped toward the kitchen, and Bridget hastily
withdrew her counsel.

"Shure it's the divil himsilf broke loose!" shouted Bridget again,
opening the door a crack. "I'd know his horns an' tail anywheres, bad
cess to him! Howly Mither! how shall I get yez into the house? It's a
state of siege I'm in here, or I'd be out a-dhraggin' yez inside.
Don't raise yer hid, Mr. Loveland--don't now, me dear, as ye love yer
life, or fust ye know she'll go a-bowlin