attempt to
take the honey till the night, when they lighted a fire, and drove away
the bees by throwing leaves on it, and making a great smoke; they then
opened the tree, and gained about two pails full of honey, which they
brought in just as the family were about to go to bed. When they went
out the next morning they found a bear very busy at the remains of the
comb, but the animal made off before they could get a shot at him.

Every morning the Strawberry collected all the sap which had run out of
the trees, and poured it into the coppers which had been fixed up by
Malachi, ready for a fire to be lighted under them. They continued
their search and found three more hives of bees, which they marked and
allowed to remain till later in the season, when they could take them at
their leisure. In a fortnight they had collected sufficient liquor from
the trees to fill both the coppers to the brim, besides several pails.
The fires were therefore lighted under the coppers, and due notice given
to Mrs Campbell and the girls that the next day they must go out into
the woods and see the operation, as the liquor would, towards the
afternoon, be turned into the coolers, which were some of the large
washing-tubs then in use, and which had been thoroughly cleansed for the
purpose.

As this was to be a holiday in the woods, they prepared a cold dinner in
a large basket, and gave it in charge of Henry. Mr Campbell joined the
party, and they all set off to the spot, which was about two miles
distant. On their arrival, they examined the trees and the trays into
which the juice first ran, the boilers in which the liquor was now
simmering over the fire, and asked questions of Malachi, so that they
might, if necessary, be able to make the sugar themselves; after which
the first cooler was filled with the boiling liquor, that they might see
how the sugar crystallised as the liquor became cold. They then sat
down under a large tree and dined. The tree was at some distance from
the boilers, as there was no shade in the open spot where Malachi had
placed them, and the afternoon was passed very agreeably in listening to
Malachi's and Martin's stories of their adventures in the woods. While
they were still at dinner, Oscar and the other dogs which had
accompanied them, had strayed to about a hundred yards distant, and were
soon very busy scraping and barking at a large hole.

"What are the dogs after?" said Alfred.

"Just what the Stra