Part 13 (2/2)

”No, they won't,” said Harry; ”I'll go,” and catching up the bellows, he walked boldly up towards the hole.

”I say,” he said, ”you two get boughs, and if the wasps do come out you can beat them down.”

There was a minute of intense interest, during which Harry crept close up to the hole, and Philip and Fred, armed with lime-tree boughs, stood as body guard to protect the a.s.saulting party.

Nearer and nearer went Harry, and then pushed the nozzle right in up to the part holding the brimstone, and puffed away as hard as he could.

”Whir--whooz--whooz--booz--wooz--buzz--wooz--burr--urr-r-r-r-- whir-r-r-r,” said the wasps, scuffling out past the nozzle by the dozen; and one, which must have been the leader, made a lodgment in Harry's hair.

Down went the bellows, and away went the boys as hard as ever they could run out of the plantation, and over the wooden bridge, till they were safe from the infuriated wasps, whose loud hum they could hear even after they were some distance off.

”Here,” said Harry, ”knock this beggar out of my head; make haste, or he'll sting me.” For there, buzzing and struggling in the boy's curls, was one of the wasps, which was killed by Fred, who squeezed it between two pieces of stick, and placed it beyond the power of doing mischief.

”Ha, ha, ha!” said Philip, when there was no more danger: and when he had got his breath again, ”What a game!”

”Booh,” said Harry; ”was it? You wouldn't like to go and try again.”

”I wouldn't mind,” said Philip; ”I shouldn't run faster than you did.”

”Ah! never mind,” said Harry; ”you run fast enough this time. I only wish,” he continued sulkily, ”that I had let you go.”

Now, Philip was generally most terribly teased by his brother, and therefore it was not surprising that he, who was generally such a mild and inoffensive lad, should take this opportunity of making a little retaliation. But one thing was very certain, and that was, that he would have backed out of the task even if Harry had given it up to him.

”Can't we fetch the bellows?” said Harry. ”Let's go and see.”

Off they went again, but at a slower pace this time, in case there should be any of the fierce little insects waiting for them. But their caution was needless, for the wasps were busy at work trying to stick their stings into the bellows, and some of them losing their lives through the vapour that came reeking out of the opening. But when the lads got near enough to see what a cloud there was buzzing about, they gave up all idea of getting the bellows till night, and took vengeance for their defeat by getting a little farther off and pelting the tree, but only hitting it about once in twenty times, so that they very soon tired of that pastime, and went back to see what poor old Sam could find for them fresh.

”Now, then,” said Sam, when they came up, ”where's the wopses' nest?

The Squire wants some grabs for fis.h.i.+ng.”

”Ain't got it,” said Harry, shortly.

”How's that?” said the old man; ”you weren't afeard, was you?”

”No,” said Harry, stoutly; ”I wasn't afraid, only they came buzzing out so we were obliged to give in.”

Chuckle, chuckle, went the old man at their defeat; but he would not go himself to fetch the bellows, although he laughed at the boys' expense.

”You'd better leave off laughing,” said Philip, taking Harry's part, ”or we'll stop here all the morning.”

Sam grew serious in a moment, for the boy couldn't have uttered a more dire threat against his peace of mind.

”Ah! I ain't laughing, Master Phil, only it is good fun to see the wopses make any one run. If I was you, I should go and have a look at Bramble d.y.k.e; they say as the water's nearly all dried up, and you can get fish out of it.”

”It's too far,” said Philip, ”because we are going out with Papa directly after dinner.”

Sam was done for a moment; but a bright thought flashed across his brain. ”Ah,” said he, ”if I was a young gentleman, I should go down the north planting hedge, close to the dung-heaps; they do say there is a sight of snakes there; but in course you young gentlemen won't go, for as you're afraid of wopses, in course you won't like to go where there's snakes.”

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