THE ROBBER ANTS 175 



KENNETH. I've caught one of the fifty, and it's an 

 Acrobat, but that ant never drove ours away. Some other 

 ant has done it. Why, ours have been in this nest only six 

 weeks. We didn't think they would live here long. Still, 

 I don't believe they left of their own accord. 



CECIL. The Acrobats like to live near the surface. They 

 surely did enjoy that sun-parlor. They have small colonies 

 and are not supposed to eat nuts or grain. 



DOROTHY. Look here ! Sixteen of ours are passing 

 by, five feet away, and two of them are being carried by 

 others. They have no home ready and don't know what 

 to do. I'm sorry we dug up their old one, for they could 

 go back to it now if we hadn't. 



FLORENCE. If our ants had been smart they would 

 have had another nest ready. We must find out where they 

 are hiding and help them until they get a start. 



CECIL. All come back tomorrow. 



KENNETH. Morning. Why, the Acrobats have left the 

 parlor, too. 



FLORENCE. There go thirty of our ants past on the 

 trail, and four are being carried. I guess the four are 

 rattled and don't know what to do. I wonder where the 

 eggs and babies and queens are hidden while the ants find 

 a place for a new home? 



CECIL. A few keep coming back to examine the old 

 home, but I suppose they carry away a bad report. We 

 don't know what is down in the old nest. 



FLORENCE. Hurrah! I followed an ant and found 

 the new home ! It's on top of a little bank only fifteen feet 

 from the old home. It's just a crack in the ground and 

 the ants will have to make a nest of it as soon as they 



