The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1919-04-09
DEADLY ANT ARMY
No Creature Can Remain in Path
OF Horde and Live.
Naturalist. nimsef Net Immune From
Danger. Tells 81 Incidents tte Saw
ss re Watched the Progress
Of the insee,s

was doxiDc quietly IN ny ham
moek. glad 10 rsanps FOR an instant
the iusfstent screamlug u a cicada
which seemed 10 have gone mad Ia The
( jungle heat when . low rustiing
caught my ear-a sound 81 moving
leaves without wind the voice of q
breeze In the midst ~ breatAless heat,
vr|fes William neebe In the Atlantic
Monthly There was Ia Il something
sinister and forrboding | leaned over
the edge ~ my hammock. sud saw
comlng toward mr. Ia ldosd. irregu
lar frunt. a great army ~ ants, bat
lelion after battalion ~ them flowing
Ike = SEA " living notes over twlgs
sud leaves and stems.
knew the danger and half sat up
prepared 20 roll out and walk 20 one
Side Then gauged nay supporting
strands tested them until they sihrai-
"a and humiued. and lay back. watch
ing 10 see what would come about.
knew that no creature la the world
could stay in the path ol this horde
aEi live To AL an inssrt OF . great
bird would require only few in.
stluts. aud tie death ~ laguar
~ taplr Would mean only a few
uore. Against this attack. claws
teeth, poison fangs would be idle
weapons.
In the van flcd a cloud of terrified
insects-those gifted with flight tc
wing their way FAR IN. while the
humber ones went running headlong
their legs -four six or hundr,'i. max
lng the sNlftest pace youehsafed them
There Were foolish folk Who climbed
NJ low ferns. achieving fhe swaylng
iopmost frunds only a. be iralled by
the savage auts and brought down I,
instant death.
Even the winged ones were not I'm
mune Tor Il they lesiiated second.
an ant would seize upon them. and. Al
though carried Into the air. would not
Loosen his grip. hut cling TO them. 81
struct their Hight. anl perhaps brin.
them 20 earth In the heart of n
Jungle. where. cut OF from their Kind
the single combat would be wagcd
the death. Prom where l watched. !
saw massacrcs innumerable; terrihl,
battles in which some creatures
giant beside an ant-foughl for J..
lie. crushing 10 death scores OF th,
enemy before giving up.
They we're a mcrcliess army ans
their number was countless. with hos
upon host following close on each 9th
er's heels A horde of warriors foun,
a bird 10 my gaze bag. and left Of 4
hardly q feather. I wondered whether
they would discover me. and they did
though ihlnk II was more by accident
than by intention. Nevertheless hall
dozen ants appeared on the FOO
strands, nervously twiidllng their an
tennae In my direction. Their ap
pralsal was brief: with No more than a
seconds delay they started toward me
I waited until they were wei on their
way. then vigorously twangcd the
cords under them harpvise. sending
al the SCOUTS into midalr and headlong
down among their fellows. 10 far as
| know. this was 4 Revolutionary
maneuyer IN military tactics. compar-
able ouly 10 the explosion Of set
in.ae.
But even 50. when the last OF this
brigade had gone on their rnenacing.
pltiless way. and the danger had
passed 10 a new province. | could not
help thinking OF the certain. inex0ra-
bic fate OF man who. unable 10 move
from his hammock or TO make any
defense. should be thus exposed 10
their attack. There could be 10 help
Tor him II but one q this grsat host
should scent him out and carry the
word back to the rank and file.