CHAPTER XVir 
THE TERRIBLE BASHIKOUAY.—MARCH OF AN ANT ARMY.— 
THEY BUILD BRIDGES.—THEY ENTER HOUSES. — THEIR 
HABITS, 
ONE day I was plodding along in the vast forest in 
search of game, and was suddenly startled by a strange 
noise falling upon my ears. I heard the footsteps of wild 
beasts running away. I thought even that I saw the. 
glimpse of a gorilla; I certainly heard distinctly the 
footsteps of an elephant soon after. At last I heard at a 
great distance a mighty crash as if elephants were run- 
ning at great speed through the forest, breaking every 
thing before them. 
What can all this mean? Tasked myself; and Iknew © 
not why, but a vague feeling of awe began to creep over 
me. I knew that something strange must have happen- 
ed or was coming. Weré we going to have an earth- 
quake? It could not be a tornado, for we were in the 
beginning of the dry season. 
Finally the insects which had begun to fly at the be- 
ginning of this tumult now grew thicker and thicker, 
when suddenly I was annoyed by fearful bites, and in 
less time than I have taken to write I was covered by a 
kind of ants called by the Bakalais Bashikouay. I 
leaped and fled with the utmost haste in the same di- 
rection the insects and beasts had taken. An army of 
bashikouay ants was advancing, and devouring’ every 
