At first
Supreme could see nothing in the growing darkness; then she saw that
some of the sky was blacker than the rest. Next she caught a faint glow.
"Supreme, the deadly flower has come to the hives!"
It was true! In ten minutes the city was near enough for the commandant
to see it all very clearly. The fire had started on the windward side,
and already had swept through half the hives!
"Quick!" the order was snapped out. "Into the remaining houses, and save
the young!"
She herself led the horde. Straight into the face of the flames they
flew, unquestioningly, unhesitantly. What self, compared with the Hive?
Next moment, like a mammoth billow, the smoke rolled down upon them all.
And thus it came about that the villagers, making their cautious way
toward the bee city, shouted for joy and danced as they had never danced
before, when they saw what had happened.
Not a bee was left alive. Every egg and larva was destroyed; every queen
was burned. And every last soldier and worker had lost her life in the
vain attempt at rescue.
Suddenly one of the villagers, who had been helping to carry Corrus and
Dulnop to the spot, pointed out something on the other side of the fire!
It was Rolla!
"Hail!" she shouted, hysterical with happiness as she ran toward her
people.
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