anding in the middle of the
road, uncertain in which direction to run.

"Across, most likely; but higher up than this, by the line they
took," Tristram answered, pointing in the direction of the town.
"Hullo!"

"What is it?"

"Why, look: there--under the arch!"

Beneath the very centre of the triumphal arch, and directly under the
sacred name of King William, there hung a black object larger than a
man's head and in shape resembling a bunch of grapes. It was the
swarm, and a very fine one, numbering--as Captain Barker estimated--
twenty thousand workers at the very least. He ran under the arch,
and nearly cricked his neck staring up at them.

His excited motions had been seen by a small knot of wagoners and
farm-hands, who were drinking and gossiping on the benches before the
Fish and Anchor, to wile away the time of waiting for the King's
arrival. At first they thought the royal cavalcade must be in sight,
though not expected for an hour or more; and hurried up in twos and
threes.

"What's the to-do, Captain?"

"Where's that lumbering fool Narcissus?" demanded Captain Barker,
stamping his foot and pointing to the cluster over his head.

Mr. Swiggs came forward, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
He had been the last to arrive, having lingered a minute to attend to
the half-emptied mugs of his more impatient fellows.

"Here," he announced.

"Fetch a ladder, and bring one of the new hives--the one I rubbed
with elder-buds the day before yesterday. Tristram, run to the house
for my gloves and a board. Quick, I say--here, somebody kick that
one-eyed dawdler! What the plague? Haven't there been kings enough
in England these last fifty years that you waste a good afternoon on
the look-out for the newest?"

"You'll be careful of my arch, Captain?" the landlord hazarded
nervously. "His Majesty'll be coming along presently--"

"I'll be careful of my bees. D'ye want me to leave them there till
he passes, and maybe to lose the half of my swarm down the nape of
his royal neck? I can't help their wearing the orange: they were
born o' that colour, which is more than you can say, landlord, or any
man Jack here present. But I can prevent their swarming and buzzing
in his Majesty's path like any crowd of turncoats. Ah, here comes
Tristram with the ladder! Set it here, my boy. Take care--don't run
a hole through _King William_--leave that to his new friends. So--
now pull on the gloves and step u