Part 22 (1/2)
”No”
Maya spoke quietly and firht
”I'll bite your head off if you don't tell” The warrior drew dangerously close
”It will be bitten off anyhow Go ahead I shan't betray the lovely dragon-fly She's a close friend of mine You want to iathering dawn Maya could see that his forehead was pale and his eyes tragic with the inner struggle he aging
”Good God!” he said wildly ”It's time to rouse the soldiers-- No, no, little bee, I don't want to harm Loveydear I love her, ain”
Maya was clever She purposely hesitated before she said:
”But I love my life”
”If you tell me where Loveydear lives”--Maya could see that the sentinel spoke with difficulty and was tre all over-- ”I'll set you free You can fly wherever you want”
”Will you keep your word?”
”My word of honor as a brigand,” said the sentinel proudly
Maya could scarcely speak But, if she was to be in time to warn her people of the attack, every moment counted Her heart exulted
”Very well,” she said, ”I believe you Listen, then Do you know the ancient linden-trees near the castle? Beyond the lake In a cove at the south end where the brook empties into the lake the waterlilies lie spread out on the water in the sunlight Near them, in the rushes, is where Loveydear lives You'll find her there every day at noon when the sun is high in the heavens”
The warrior had pressed both hands to his pale brow He seele with hiroaned, whether from joy or pain it was io where there were floating white flowers Those must be the flowers you speak of Fly away, then I thank you”
And actually he stepped aside froand keeps his word,” he said
Not knowing that Maya had overheard the deliberations in the council chamber, he told himself that one small bee more or less made little difference Weren't there hundreds of others?
”Good-by,” cried Maya, breathless with haste, and flew off without a word of thanks
As a matter of fact, there was no time to spare
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAPTER XV
THE WARNING
Little Maya suth and will power she had left Like a bullet shot froun (bees can fly faster than htning beeline for the woods, where she knew she would be safe for the ret having let her go and follow in pursuit
Gossa drops fell froround, and the cold in the woods threatened to paralyze little Maya's wings No ray of the dawn had as yet found its way between the trees The air was as hushed as if the sun had forgotten the earth, and all creatures had laid theh up in the air Only one thing th and wits perered hoainst the attack which the terrible brigands had planned for that veryOh, if only the nation of bees had the chance to arm and make ready its defenses, it ell able to cope with its stronger opponents
But a surprise assault at rising time! What if the queen and the soldiers were still asleep? The success of the hornets would then be assured They would take prisoners and give no quarter