The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-11
ANTS As FIGHTERS.
Tiny Warriors whom Even the Largest AMI
NAL Dare Not Meet In Equal Combat.

NAL Dare Not Meet In Equal Combat.
IL was one OF ak American miners who
were routed from their camp by Venezuelan
ant army" said n mining expert who lately ar
rived in New York from Venezuela. I'VE re-
treated before the invaders without making a
fight. and for two good reasons. In the first
place We would nave gotten the worst OF the
encounter. and. secondly. we knew that IL we
let them alone they would do US II good service
Shortly after dawn one Sunday. while we
were still snoo2iug away In our hammocks.
our native cook burst in upon US with the
news that we were about to be attack ed by
an army Of ants. We had heard enough about
ant armies to know what TO do. We arose
hastily, and every ounce Of provisions that was
not sealed in cans or in Jars was hurredly
piled on a table. the four legs OF which were
immersed in as many basins OF water. Every
manpuvre that Is known to the armies OF civ
iIized humans you may safely expect from an
ant army. but the little black warriors have
never learned to swim. Our provisions thus pro-
tect"d. we left the camp to itself and went out to
rcconnoirc for the invaders and to watch
their assault from distance. The army was
making fair time. An irregular patch of black
ten Eat wide and double as long was swarm-
ing steadily toward our camp As the army
was in no way disturbed by our presence 1t
was possible to approach its lines closely.
There must have been millions upon millions
OF ilttl" soldiers marching hip to hip. At tho
head marched the leader. On went the army
ny the posts that supported the camp and
then within. The patter OF their countless
little feet was audible like the rustling of grass
in Il light breeze
Once within. tho army spread itself in all
directions. forming hundreds Of little attacking
parties. The camp waS-au old palm matched
pdes and spiders that we had been OH the
point oil destroying IT, Now, however, the ants
had come and would clean house for us. and
therefore they were welcome. The ants
sw2rmed up the Iolsts and the dry leafy walls.
and whercyerth"re was spider, or hug there
was q brief tussle and dead foe. But there
was bigger game in store for the invaders
The star battle was with an immense CEN
inches long, and as big around as your middle
finger He darted out Of a ho" lik" blue
s,rGnk evidently trusting to his speed and s
ranks. But he didn't 20 three feet before he
VAST, was stonned Ants literally covered him. lie
is /, IL he WAS buried Beneath n%otRer swarm
he swept his ,tormentors from his Back
%h ants T2 2aio 4" all ns dss of nsn
The wrigrIing OF the big fellow became less
y!!nlent as the hght pr9gresSed and finally.
desnerate last one, he remained quiet while
what little life was left in him was bitten out OF
when we had swept up the centpedes aud
scorpions and lizards and a tarantula which
the ant army had vanGushed. we put the hero
glass The bodies Of dead ants still clung t.
their foe From his back, from his legs. from
wherever there was a chance for a hold the
bodies Of ants dangled. holding on. I suppose,
by their teeth.
Perhaps you wonder what would happen
TO man who would undertake to fight an
army OF ants. assuming Of course that the man
relics on his natural means OF defence-his
hands and feet | can best illustrate that by
thr rare story o. an unfortunate who was
my, return nome. The man was a coolie who
had worked on a cocoa plantation in a creek
Of some OF his countrymen. the coole. owing to
the heat. had left his camp and stretched him
sell on the ground to sleep outdoors Exactly
What foUoWed no one can say with certainty
Presumably he was surrounded and covered
by an army OF ants before he awakened At
aroused the inmates OF the camp. who ran out
to learn the cause
The man was, Gesticulating wildly an d
and slapped his face and neck and chest and
legs in a mad effort to slap himself all over at
once he was standing IN the midst, Of an
to run away. Then he did exactly what O
panther or a leopard does when he is being
overcome. The man threw himself to the
active white man could have saved the poor
wretch but the stupehed bare legged coolies
dared not. or thought not Of rescue. while the
seek other than instant relief From slight
personal experience. I know the poor fellow
was burning in fire which would take hours
Finally bystander regained his wits and
rushed into the midst OF the army and
the creek The rescue came too late e.l The The
victim became unconscious His velvety
brown skin was a pink mass OF raw bites.
hand and foot a maniac. whose continuous
notion was that he was being eaten by ants"