The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-19

The ant most was under tho porch, and there
was n2 way to get anything a. large as that
ground and the koors, OF the porch at the upper
end. The only way to get there from where
down OF the front of the porch by two steps that
led 70 the walk. and then follow 9 narrow
e the open end. And what do you think
Those ants resolved to transport that big burden
oveT. that roundabout course.
oitement was quicted down and the ants got
soon made, and l discovered that a striking
change was made in the mode OF moving the
rolling ana turning. of the worm the ants re-
solved to, carry It, saw frat one ant then nm
S SsoSS S on moro %mS'9 Sad F sse Sndsf ihs o tsS tss Ent apS 3
the, worms body rose from the floor and was
az last entirely clear of 1t, resting on the backs
selves beneath 1t. Then tho big carcass began
to move away, borne on the backs of two
the army marched along as an escort, and, as
subsequently saw, as a relief corps for tho de-
The carcass was borne along In steady
march, and when tho top OF the steps was reached
to the edge of that one and tumblvd to the sec
ond and then to the walk, There a detach;
the march proceeded along tho walk toward
the open end Of the porch, Half way down the
dctachment relieved them and the march was
resumed: The caravan had proceeded only q
short distance further, though, to a point
the walk on which the army was marching,
when Q panic seized the advance guard OF ants;
army halted aud the burden corps dropped the
happened ne u" / Sis rSTei9Sd then G"S W wh SG0 had wnS caused ned
all the excitement. A big black ant was out
face to face with the caravan Of red ants. The
black ant sized up the enemy a. once, turned
come. 1t followed tho walk a couple Of yards,
where II disappeared at, one side OF 1t. The
RFabn sv!t6 os t T"sn REQ a tha;r i mSrcb. Tor snd e i cnn, tit sss
that IT was q more rapid one and that there
was much uneasiness in the army, And there
would have avoided the disaster that overlook
tary black ant and it couldn't have carried to
Its camp the news of their presence.
the D main Walk sHS lou up Sd that nS Walk Rr0e on the 9 dos1bIo
quick, came q horde of black ants. q force
i%tter w 1sFsG sod th9 snr 16Ht IF tS SS the red b %n { a anS
the battle was on. 1t was short and decisive.
IN less than PI tS 2 minute tnaS he red ID ants were Y T oyer,
that were not killed were made prisoners, and
on these latter the blacks put the burden OF
On that same farmhouse porch 1 considered
at atos ano o1 { time. ana a fbIlscE'I amt, w vsTg large sn' a and
plainly out for business, appeared at one end
moving Vi P'i rapidly Iiy"t along long ia gag sinti"f here and
there. and circling about, when suddenly an ant
Of P the e pia9z SaS its eo Si9nS d IE9% snG to oShSF ef IKE
black ant. This ant was a red one. Whether
it saw its glisteninE black enemy or not at first
saw the red one when, it was still three or four
feet distant. for the black stopped in its ma
the other, with its head elevated. It didn't
move until the red ant had advanced to with
seconds. apparently sizing the black ant up. and
then turned and took a course at an abrupt
i hnSl Se fsGm and ade d dpSf; dhs sF, ta0 i Rlsc xa Sn5 fiTop lRSe!
The red ran a yard or 40, but the black gained
S SPo 1t 55A I,s.iT f S%d the 1t stepped HSf T feed S,s about ant and md
tackled the red, and instantly a, fierce combat
was, on; The two ants bit and yrestled and
black killed its foe; Picking UP the red. ant in
its powerful, jaws, it started toward the further
mouth a dead bear as big and as heavy as it.
self and start OF with II on a gellop as easily
doing in Comparison exactly what this ant did.
When the black ant was half way across the
porch with the body of It's victim. It came to a
hear the outer edge Of the piazza the crack was
made the crossing. This brought It below the
where there were the remains Of a web aban.
dones by a spider. some Of tho web was on
square into the web. Instantly it dropped the
body of the red ant and turned TO escape from
the trap; In doing 50 It tangled its hind legs in
three desperate kicks and tugs and broke
loose. but took, along an inch or more of the
THE ant was now like a bear in q trap whose
fastenings it had broken. but from which 1t
sect pulled itself along by its front legs, its
hind legs being, helpless. handicapped. as they
the neFe edge Ss Of tH the ' crack x WITCH wsS; M ii1s'bbll ask 0 amt 'f had
crossed, so much TO its discontinue and peril.
T %Is e sP abo"a an T eis FREE end on s of the ihe5 splinter n5 = Was KS
board. The ant dragged itself as far as tho
splinter and stopped. 1t seemed suddenly to
thought. BY, and by it reused itself. and go.
into the crack, dragged itself along tho edge
Of the board; came up again on the surface be.
came back to the upper end of IT again.
me mnno m n%t r a Si1tS ur shis tf tbs s apiipt by x thiS
the trailing web. This done, the ant came
slowly up the board; pulling steadily. until /,
streamer. stroking its hind legs against each
other until 1t had got them in good shape again.
width Of tho porch when it stopped as II sud.
tho, board. Five or six Inches ahead and an
inch or SO from the crack sat a large blue fly;
the ant, The ant coveted the dy.. How was il
to get the inaectf 1t sat still and ,pondered.
sat tt there. oFHTH hs t i Ffs HnF q Or m "a R5nSas 'h Th "n'
the ant turned and retraced its steps leisurely,
,h@ teal to al OUTSIDE II fn,,o oPPSHT Tfs Ssr aIim ,rs 9 : along long
sight, until 1t had placed two feet at least OF
distance between itself and the fly. Then it
went over the edge of the board and disap;
the fy, nut from Where / sat could see the a.
ant and have an opportunity to consider Its way.
THE instant the ant was hidden from the fly
In the crack it turned and rushed back along
the inner edge OF the board, keeping below the
top Of it., II had calculated the distance with
wonderful precision, for IT stopped in the crack
directly opposite where the fly still sat, the fly,
meanwhile. having slightly changed its posi-
ton. Pausing n moment the ant crept eau,
tiously toward the top of the crack. Warily II
pushed just enough Of its head above the edge
to enable II to SEQ tho fly; which sat with Its
head now turned enough in that direction to
make II useless for the ant to try to steal upon
II. For two minutes at least the ant chung to
the edge of tho board watching the ny and
waiting for il to change TO a position more
favorable. Then the fly, either unaware Of the
presence of its Zoe or foolish In oyerconfdence
began to walk slowly around and soon its back
was turned to the cunning. ant. At that In
slant the ant came out of its ambush with a
rush and In a twinkling had It's Jaws fastened
nipped off instantly, The fly hutlered about
off thp Other Einp Than seizinD ffu MUM nray