The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-03

presence in the leaves OF my matched roof.
The sound increased in loudness as the rats.
mice, lizards, cockroaches, centipedes and
others Of their ilk, who had long made the
roof their home, tried vs.nly to escape.
Some succeeded in getting away from the
/ house, but only Co fall victims 20 the sur
rounding hordes without.
/ One large oOckrcach I noticed made
! plucky fight, but, overpowered BY num-
Ders, be gradually relaxed his efforts aud
was soon dismembered. each ant carrying
! OH portion OF his body as q trophy.
The most exciting battle was With a
snake about three feet long that tried 10 slip
away unseen. The ants quickly surrounded
! him, however, aud fought with terrific
I terocity With every switch Of his tail the
] snake killed q score OF his tOrmentors, but
/ their places were soon filed by the black
swarm which swept INCREASINGLY on
FINALLY the writings Of the snake became
FAINTER and fainter, and at last ceased en-
/ tlrely, and then, and not until then. did the
ants relinquish their attack
! All day long they marched through the
/ house until at sundowu the end OF the col
umn had passed aud was lost to view in the
| thickness of the forest
| entered my house and prepared TO survey
ruetuuy my iarder. but my anticipatious OF
! sorrow were premature for there were all
! my provisions as | bad left them-un-
| touched. There was but one exception-a
poor turtle which l had tied to astake that
morning, intending to keep him alive for a
| few days before making him into soup.
! He was stone dead, but the rumpled earth
about bin showed that he had made hard
! fight for life. Not dead ant was to be
seen. they had all been carried off by their
comrades.
l afterwsrd learned that the warrior ants
refuse to touch any food that they them
selves have not caught aud slain, which
| accounted for my provisions remaining IN
molested.
l was overjoyed at the change in my house
not q cockroach, lizard or any other
Insect or reptile was left; they had been
completely extermInsted
My second experience with warrior ants
was not attended by such pleasant results,
as you shall see.
! l had been hunting all day in the vast
forest with fairly good luck, but as dusk
approached found that in my enthusiasm
had wandered from the trail, and that l
was practically lost.
Dreading the POSSIBILITY Of having to re-
| main all night in the forest without my
! pablo mosquito nett, looked around for a
! point of vantage from which to survey the
surrounding country and get my bearings.
! Selecting a large cabbage palm tree whose
top TOW cred high above the others, re-
moved my heavy hunting boots and started
| on my upward Journey. The smooth sur
/
ing. When about half way up l slipped
and fsll to the ground, distance OF about
! thirty feet.
| Fortunately the earth beneath me was
soft and spOngy and l escaped without be-
! ing injured internally.
l tried to rise, but the sharp thrill of ex.
| quisite agony which shot through my left
leg made 1t impossible. l had broken my
| leg, and the unpleasant fact that l was
! helpless and must lie there all night stared
me in the face.
My ultimate rescue troubled me but a
| little, for | knew it was but question of a
comparatively short time before my absence
from the village would be discovered and a
search party sent out. Covering my head
with my canvas coat as a protection
| against the myriad Of MOSQUITOES which
appeared soon after dark, l prepared to
make myself as comfortable as was possible
under the existing circumstances.
! The long hours dragged along. and in
spite OF my precautions the mosquitoes bit
me numerically.
Now and then troop of balloons would
crash through the forest and make night
| hideous with their deep roars as they jumped
| from tree to tree.
Their cries would awake the rest of the
slumbering animal and bird world, who
| would add their quota to the Internal din,
| and it would be hours before the forest
would be quiet again.
Finally the sun rose, and with the day
came q strong sea breeze. which swept my
prosecutors, the mosquitoes, far inland.
ListleSsly glanced about rue, and as l
did so, my eyes fell upon what seemed to be
! a large green blanket that had not noticed
before, about 40 feet away.
! l lazily speculated as to what it was.
when presently q tremor ran through 1t
and 1t appeared to move.
On IL came toward me across the open
slowly dragging over the uneven ground as
though propelled by some Invisible force
Suddenly the truth flashed across my
| mtnd-it was the advance guard of an army
of warrior ants, and the tiny green leaves
composing the moving mass wers each car
ried by one Of them.
My heart sank within me as remembered
the fate OF the snake and thought Of my
helpless condition.
Fascinated, watched their preparations
for the onslaught.
The green mass, stopped. The ants had
discovered the presence OF an enemy in
! their path.
| Messengers hurried to the rear, and soon
the main body appeared; they marched as
had seen them before-in a compact column
about SIX feet wide and extending as far
back as the eye could reach. On they came,
closer and closer.
! Suddenly felt q shooting pain in my foot
like tho puncture of a red-hoE needle, then
another, and in an instant my body was
! covered with the ferocious insects.
They penetrated my clothes and sank
their pincheTs deep into my quivering flesh.
| They doubled themselves up and cluug TO
me with bulldog teuacity-hundreis l
| killed, but thousands remained to take their
! plaoes
| Maddened with pain. / fhrieked and
screamed like hurt child. Thank heaven /!
Answering cries were heard and party Of
natives burst through the bush.
They took in the situation at glance,
and, rushing in amongst the ants, picked
me UP and bore me rapidly away from my