His sentences for the next few minutes were mumbled between nails and punctuated with blows of the hammer.
"The busy bee," he mumbled, "can sting other folks.

He don't get stung much himself.

Collectin' honey's easier, I cal'late, than collectin' money." Captain Sam grunted.

"Are you stung again ?" he demanded.

"Who did it this time ?" Jed pointed with the hammer to an envelope lying on a pile of wooden crows.