THE BEE'S BAYONET (A LITTLE HONEY AND A LITTLE STING) --CAMOUFLAGE IN WORD PAINTING-- BY EDWIN ALFRED WATROUS _Author of "The Fooliam"_ BOSTON RICHARD G. BADGER THE GORHAM PRESS COPYRIGHT, 1918, BY EDWIN ALFRED WATROUS All Rights Reserved Made in the United States of America The Gorham Press, Boston, U.S.A. Dedicated to THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CIVILIZATION'S CRUSADER. To Thee, My Native Land, AMERICA! My heart with pride is filled: my lips exult Because Thou art my Home--my Fatherland. Beneath the Constellation of the States, Set in the firmament of fadeless blue, I bare my head and hail the Stars and Stripes, Proud Emblem of our Unity and Might. My Country calls! I give what I possess,-- All! _All_ I say! and giving thus, regret That my poor contribution to thy needs, In hours of peril when dark war-clouds loom, Is such a paltry thing When measured by the debt of gratitude I owe for LIBERTY. All that I am and have belongs to Thee. Upon thy Altar Fires, Where Freedom glows and glorifies Mankind, I consecrate My flood-tide strength, my substance--life itself! And rate not this as sacrifice That gives me pleasure to repay In this small way Thy boon and bounty, priceless LIBERTY. CONTENTS PROEM BEHOLD A MAN! THE JULOGY ENGLAND PREPAREDNESS THE FUGITIVE KISS NEW MEXICAN NATIONAL ANTHEM LOVE STRONGARM'S WATERLOO THE SPIRIT OF FRANCE WAR SONG OF THE SAMSONS SIX DAYS A PROTEST A PRAYER SINCE THE LITTLE ONE CAME RUN ALONG, LITTLE GIRL! A RETROSPECT THE EAGLE SCREAMS THE SERVICE STAR SOME DAY THE CRUISE OF THE SEA SERPENT AMERICA LIFE AND LOVE LIFE IN DEATH GERMANY ITALY MARY IS MERRY NO MORE I SHOT AN ARROW FIXING THE BLAME LOVE'S RECOMPENSE ADAM'S ALE RUSSIA BELGIUM OUR FRIENDS ACROSS THE STREET EPITAPHS THE CONQUEST OF THE SUN OWED TO A ROACH THE MOODS OF THE WINDS THE TOXIC TIPPET TWENTY-THIRD PSALM FRIENDSHIP PARAMOUNT PROBLEMS A REUNION THE CRUISE OF THE SQUIRREL JINGLES THE WEIGHT OF LOVE DO IT! AMENITIES "DANSER SUR UN VULCAN" AT THE BULGING UDDER TIME VAGARIES A SHATTERED ROMANCE THE MILKY WAY THE LOGOTHETE THE PRICE OF PEACE MEN HAD HORNS THEN SUB ROSA WHITMANESQUE AN APEOLOGY THE BUG WAKE, MY LOVE! FIRST PSALM NOT PEACE, BUT REVENGE! HEREDITY THE CALL OF THE HOMESTEAD DECIMAL POINTS BELLES-LETTRES SANDY, THE PIPER "BEN BOLT" EXCELSIOR HER AND HIM THE PHILOSOPHY OF LIVING THE SIXTH OF APRIL BENEATH A CLOUD THE COLUMBIAD HE'S ALL RIGHT, BUT--! NATURE'S STUDIO PICARDY AMERICA'S PRAYER EPILOGUE PROEM