he feared lest Cudjo
might go through some part of the operation without his seeing or
understanding it. He watched him, therefore, as closely as if Cudjo had
been a conjuror, and was about to perform some trick. The latter said
nothing, but went silently to work--evidently not a little proud of his
peculiar knowledge, and the interest which he was exciting by it.

"There was a dead log near one edge of the opening. To this the
bee-hunter proceeded; and, drawing out his knife, scraped off a small
portion of the rough bark--so as to render the surface smooth and even.
Only a few square inches of the log were thus polished and levelled.
That would be enough for his purpose. Upon the spot thus prepared, he
poured out a quantity of the molasses--a small quantity, forming a
little circle about the size of a penny piece. He next took the glass,
and wiped it with the skirt of his coat until it was as clear as a
diamond. He then proceeded among the flowers in search of a bee.

"One was soon discovered nestling upon the blossom of a helianthus.
Cudjo approached it stealthily, and with an adroit movement inverted the
glass upon it, so as to inclose both bee and flower; at the same instant
one of his hands--upon which was a strong buckskin glove--was slipped
under the mouth of the glass, to prevent the bee from getting out; and,
nipping the flower stalk between his fingers, he bore off both the bee
and the blossom.

"On arriving at the log, the flower was taken out of the glass by a
dexterous movement, and thrown away. The bee still remained, buzzing up
against the bottom of the glass--which, of course, was now the top, for
Cudjo had held it all the while inverted on his palm. The glass was
then set upon the log, mouth downwards, so as to cover the little spot
of molasses; and it was thus left, while we all stood around to watch
it.

"The bee, still frightened by his captivity, for some time kept circling
around the upper part of the glass--seeking, very naturally, for an
egress in that direction. His whirring wings, however, soon came in
contact with the top of the vessel; and he was flung down right into the
molasses. There was not enough of the `treacle' to hold him fast; but
having once tasted of its sweets, he showed no disposition to leave it.
On the contrary, he seemed to forget all at once that he was a captive;
and thrusting his proboscis into the honeyed liquid, he set about
drinking it like a good fellow.