The bees seemed to sense this.  They met the invaders about three miles above the village, in an open spot easily seen by the people with the telescope.  And the encounter took place during twilight, just early enough to be visible from a distance, yet late enough to make the fire very impressive.

“Remember, it’s the smoke as much as the flame,” Deltos shouted to the others.  “Just keep your torches on the move, and make as much fuss as you can!”

Next moment the swarm was upon them.  It was like a vast cloud of soot; only, the buzzing of those millions of wings fairly drowned out every other sound.  The nine had to signal to one another; shouting was useless.

Within a single minute the ground was covered with bees, either dead or insensible from the smoke.  Yet the others never faltered.  At times the insects battered against the wire netting with such force, and in such numbers, that the men had to fight them away in order to get enough air.

Supreme watched from above, and kept sending her lieutenants with fresh divisions to first one man and then another, as he became separated from the rest.  Of course, nobody suffered but the bees.  Never before had they swarmed a creature which did not succumb; but these inferiors with the queer things over their faces, and the cows’ hides over their bodies and hands, seemed to care not at all.  Supreme was puzzled.

“Keep it up,” she ordered.  “They surely cannot stand it much longer.”

“It shall be done!”

And the bees were driven in upon the men, again and again.  Always the torches were kept waving, so that the insects never could tell just where to attack.  Always the men kept moving steadily down-stream; and as they marched they left in their wake a black path of dead and dying bees.  Half of them had been soldier bees, carrying enough poison in their stings to destroy a nation.  Yet, nine little matches were too much for them!

Presently the invaders had approached to within a half-mile of the torture-place.  One of Supreme’s lieutenants made a suggestion: 

“Had we not better destroy the men, rather than let them be rescued?”

The commandant considered this fully.  “No,” she decided.  “To kill them would merely enrage the other villagers, and perhaps anger them so much as to make them unmanageable.”  More than once a human had been driven so frantic as to utterly disregard orders.  “We cannot slay them all.”

The bees attacked with unabated fury.  Not once did the insects falter; orders were orders, and always had been.  What mattered it if death came to them, so long as the Hive lived?  For that is bee philosophy.

And then, just when it seemed that the wisest thing would be to withdraw, Supreme got the greatest idea she had ever had.  For once she felt positively enthusiastic.  Had she been a human she would have yelled aloud for sheer joy.

“Attention!” to her subordinates.  “We attack no more!  Instead, go into the huts and drive all the inferiors here!  Compel them to bring their tools!  Kill all that refuse!”