The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-30
AN ANT BATTLE,
| Terrible Conflict Between B,ark ma vel
law Auts-rismIre Gsnersiship.
lBelgravia.l


when | first noticed the fray II could only
have Just commenced, for round Mound Col
ony. though In a featfully excited state, the
principal portion Of tie black ants were sun
oongregated Far away at the base OF the
yellow ant hill I noticed few black ants Pile
nomenallv still for an ant not necessarily
moving may be generally looked upon, SO Tar
az this life goes, as having been uisitanehlsed.
Between the citadel Of the yellow ants and
Mound Colony a fnw black aud yellow ants
were apparently enjoying friendly wres-
thing match. Any one watching the athletes,
however, would have Noticed that, whenever
one was thrown, he like the black ants at the
top Of the yellow ants hill, made no attempt
to move again, and manifested that Won
dnrful Indifference to subsequent pro-
ceedngs which doctors call death. As
roundHthc mound continued. From the
mound, and out of the hill in which the yell
low ants lived the wrestlers In the plain be-
tween the two we're. | noticed, constantly re
ceiving fresh accessions Of strength. De-
tachnents OF black ants were then formed Mt
intervals, aud met by opposing detachments
yellow ants ordered out Of their ant-hill Had
a general commanded the forces the lighting
could not have been more scientific The
skirmish extended into an engagement, the
engagement into heavy battle, and at last
the battle into an assault on the yellow ants
bill itself As watched the supports Of the
black ants were thrown forward more rapidly
aud In greater numbers. Out of the yellow
ants hill dnployed heavier columns. The
charge and shock Of the opposing MASSES be-
came more fierce and the litter Of the dead
more numerous. ! he tide of battle, surglng
now to Mound Colony and now to the yellow
ants hills took narrower tlpwings to the
former. and more repeatedly neared the lat
ter; for the yellow ants were slowly giving
way. aud their black assailants were forcing
themselves nearer and nearer the ant hill.
Had II been possible to have separated the
ooinhatan's now, ! would have done H. Small
as they were there was n sangunary ferocity
about the black ants which aIienated sym
pathy, while the bravery OF the yellow ants.
coupled with the fact that they were nearly d
third smaller than their foes compelled some
thing like admiration. To add to the horror Of
the scene. the hutchnry was executed iii
deadest silence. The visible rush aud excite
mnnt ~ the stnrming parties could he plain
" seen. The heat aud action of attack and
defense were rs apparent as If the hill | sat
watching had been one of the heights Of
the Schipka, and the comhatants Turks and
Russians. IL was palmer. for no smoke Of
battle hid stayers and slain. All was done In
clear broad. genial sunshine, and was rs
wildly observable AZ the fortunes which are
being inflicted on the Elamite prisoners in
some OF the Assyrian tablets at the British
Museum. But as to those hapless wretchea,
pegged down to the ground and slowly
skinned alive by the implacable figures
standing, knife IN hand, over Them have been
voicclessly suffering the most excruciating
agony any time these thousand years SO the
unfortunate yellow ants were dismemhered
without the faintest sound reaching me-
There may have been cries and screams and
the sobbings of unutterahle physical anguish.
Ii there were, my senees were too gross to
perceive them. ! could see limb torn from
limb. COULD watch the body of some misera-
bic prisoner lengthening under the awful
strain. az two bands Of its captors tugged It
In two. Then 1t snapped asuder, and It's
bloodthilsty assailants captured another foe