“’Skeeters ain’t in it with the little pests!” vowed Jerry, and the whole party seemed to be of the same opinion.

After an early breakfast they made preparations looking to a raid on the rich stores of the bee tree.  An old piece of netting was made into nets, so as to cover their faces, while gloves protected their hands fairly well.

Jerry took them ashore, all but Bluff, who elected to stay by the boat.  The others jeered him, and declared that he was afraid of stings; but Bluff was not to be taunted into going.

Joe, who had been up a bee tree before, offered to ascend, and do the work.  So the balance of the party were only too glad of the chance to escape that duty.

The hive was in a big limb that jutted out just above where Jerry had crashed through a rotten place marking the spot where another limb had broken off long years before.

“It looks easy.  I reckon I can chop her some, and she’ll drop of her own weight,” called the boy.

He began to use the small camp ax with telling effect.  After half an hour of this there was an ominous crack.

“Look sharp, down there!  She’s a-comin’!” called Joe.

Hardly had he spoken than the limb came down with a roar.  Instantly the air was filled with a swarm of thousands of dazed bees.  The limb had split open from the concussion, and a wonderful store of honey was displayed to view.  Jerry was wild with delight.

“Gallons and gallons of the lovely stuff!” he shouted.  “Come on, fellows, and get the pails filled!  Ouch!  That little imp got me, all right!  Say! he’s inside my veil!  Whoop!  There’s another!  I must have left an opening!” And for a minute or so he danced around madly, slapping and pawing, until he had managed to dispose of the furious insects.

By the time he had adjusted his net the others were busy at work.

“Take only the lighter-colored honey.  That dark stuff is old, though I suppose it’s all good still.  We can’t use a fifth of what there is.  I imagine I know what will happen around here to-night,” said Frank.

Joe looked up and grinned.

“Bear come, sure.  Smell the honey a mile away,” he remarked, and Frank nodded.

“And if we were wild to get a bear, all we’d have to do would be to sit here and wait,” remarked Will, who had, of course, snapped off a few views while his chums were busy, particularly remembering Jerry while he pranced around and fought the busy bees that had invaded his head net.

“I leave that to the rest,” remarked Frank.

Having secured all the honey they could carry away, they once more returned to the shore, and by degrees their sweet cargo was ferried out to the motor-boat.  Of course, more or less washing up followed, for they were all sticky.

“What is it to be, fellows—­go, or stay over?” asked Frank a little later.

Bluff had been told about the chances for bagging a bear, but he did not seem to care much about it.