Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-03-26
A Terrible Battle.

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When l first noticed the fray, it
could only have just commenced, for
round Mound Colony, though in a
fearfully excited state, the principal
portion of the black ants were still
%congregated. Far away at the base of
the yellow ant hill | noticed a few
black ants phenomenally still, for an
ant not necessarily moving may be
generally looked upon, SO far as this
life goes, as having been disfran-
chised. Between the citadel of the
yellow ants aud Mound Colony a few
black and yellow ants were, apparent
ly, enjoying a friendly wrestling
match. Any one watching the athletes,
however, would have noticed that
whenever one was thrown, he, like the
black ants at the bottom of the yellow
ants hill, made no attempt to move
again, and manifested that wonderful
Indifference to subsequent proceed
ings which doctors call death. As |
watched the angry movement round
the Mound continued. From the
Mound and out of the hill in
which the yellow ants lived the
wrestlers in the plain between the
two were, | noticed, constantly receiv-
ing fresh accessions Of strength. De-
tachments of black ants were then
formed at intervals, and met by op-
posing detachments of yellow ants
ordered out of their ant-hill. Had a
general commanded the forces, the
fighting could not have been more
scientific. The skirmish extended
into an engagement, the engagement
into a heavy battle, and at last the
battle into an assault on the yellow
ants hill itself. As | watched, tho
supports of the black ants were
throws forward more rapidly, and in
greater numbers. One of the yellow
ants hill deployed heavier columns.
The charge and shock Of the opposing
masses became more fierce, and the
litter Of the dead more numerous.
The tide of battle, surging now to
Mount Colony and now to the yellow
ants hill, took arrower fowings to
the former, and more repeatedly
neared the latter; for the yell
low ants were slowly giving way,
and their black assailaIts were
forcing themselves nearer and nearer
the aIt-hill. Had it been possible to
have separated the combatants now,
| would have done it. Small as they
were, there was Q sangpinary ferocity
about the black ants which alleniated
sympathy, while the bravery of the
yellow ants, coupled with the fact that
they were nearly a third,smaller than
their foes, compelled something like
admiration. To add to the horror of
the scene, the butchery was executed
in the deedest silepce. The visible
rush and excitement of the stormine
parties could be plainly seen. The
heat and action of attack and defense
were as apparent as if the hill | sat
watching bad been one Of the heights
Of the Schipka, aud the combatants
Turks and Russians. 1t was palmer
for no smoke If battlo hid slayers and
slain. All was done in clear, broad,
genial sunshine, and was as wildly
observable as the tortures which are
being indicted On tho Elamite priso-
ners in some Of the Assyrian tablets al
the British Museum. But as those
hapless wretches, pegged down to tho
ground aud slowly skinned alive by.
the implacable figures standing knife.
in hand over them, have been voice
lessly suffering the most excruciating
agony any time these thousand years,
50 the unfortunate yellow ants were