"Do you s'pose any one ever did die from bee-sting?"
"I'm afraid so. One feller said if he didn't die before mornin' he might have one chance in a hundred--"
Next day Sube's face blanched with fear as he saw the undertaker's wagon pass the house in the direction of the Unionville Mill. When the fearsome news was broken to Gizzard he presented a ray of hope.
"I ast my dad last night if anybody ever died of bee-sting and he said he never heard of any; but he said if a person got enough of 'em he couldn't see why they wouldn't kill just like a charge of birdshot."
"Does he know about everybody that dies in the whole world?" asked Sube incredulously.
"Maybe not all of 'em; but he knows about a good many."
At this point in the discussion Biscuit arrived, and with him came a brilliant idea to Sube.
"How good do you know Hi Wilbur, Biscuit?" he asked.
"Bet you don't know 'im good enough to nail 'im for a ride when he comes along!" challenged Sube.
"Oh! Don't I! Don't I, now! Well, you just watch me! _Watch_ me! I'll show you if I do or not!" howled Biscuit.
"Well," said Sube, "he jus' went down the street, and when he comes back pretty quick we'll watch you all right!"
"Well," taunted Sube, "when you're ridin' with 'im and we're watchin' you, I'll bet you dassent ask him who's dead down the street--Here he comes now! Get on the job, Biscuit! We're watchin'!"
As the undertaker's service wagon approached with Hi on the lofty seat, Biscuit ran out in the road and hailed him. The team was instantly brought to a standstill and Biscuit clambered aboard.
"Not on your life he didn't!" retorted Sube. "When he comes back and tells us who's dead you'll see that I fooled--Look!--He's gettin' down!"
Biscuit came running back to them triumphantly. "Ha-ha! What'd I tell you--!"
"Nobody but ol' Miss Stebbins," replied Biscuit. "But I got some'pm better'n that to tell you!"
Sube and Gizzard waited in breathless suspense until Biscuit should speak. There was no telling what it might be.
"They've took Seth Bissett back to prison--!"
"What's that!" cried Sube and Gizzard in a chorus.
"Yessir! The payroll officer came this mornin' and found Seth's face all blotchy 'cause he'd been on two or three drunks lately, and the officer said there was a lot of complaints against 'im, so he took 'im back to prison!"