Just Above The Torch A Chopping-
Knife Was Fastened By A Short Cord.
The bee-hunter now took hold of the bush-rope just above the torch and
passed the other end around the trunk of the tree, holding one end in
each hand.
Jerking it up the tree a little above his head he set his
foot against the trunk, and leaning back began walking up it. It was
wonderful to see the skill with which he took advantage of the
slightest irregularities of the bark or obliquity of the stem to aid
his ascent, jerking the stiff creeper a few feet higher when he had
found a firm hold for his bare foot. It almost made me giddy to look
at him as he rapidly got up - thirty, forty, fifty feet above the
ground; and I kept wondering how he could possibly mount the next few
feet of straight smooth trunk. Still, however, he kept on with as much
coolness and apparent certainty as if he were going up a ladder, until
he got within ten or fifteen feet of the bees. Then he stopped a
moment, and took care to swing the torch (which hung just at his feet)
a little towards these dangerous insects, so as to send up the stream
of smoke between him and them. Still going on, in a minute more he
brought himself under the limb, and, in a manner quite unintelligible
to me, seeing that both hands were occupied in supporting himself by
the creeper, managed to get upon it.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 276 of 419
Words from 75272 to 75530
of 114260
