THE CONVICT TRAIL 203 



lowed, the victor receiving it in a gluttonly 

 rather than a gracious spirit, but allowing his 

 captive to escape. I surprised one of these 

 dark-brown chaps in the trail and seized him 

 well up toward the head, to preserve his tail 

 intact. Hardly had I lifted him from the 

 ground, when he turned his head, considered 

 me calmly with his bright little eyes, and forth- 

 with solemnly spat out a still living ant in my 

 direction. The inquiring look he then gave me, 

 was exceedingly embarrassing. Who was I not 

 to be bound in chivalry by the accredited cus- 

 toms of his race? 



With dignity and certainty of acceptance he 

 had surrendered, calmly and without doubt he 

 had proffered his little substitute of sword. It 

 was, I felt, infinitely preferable to any guttural 

 and cowardly "kamerad!" Feeling rather 

 shamefaced I accepted the weakly struggling 

 ant, gently lowered the small saurian to the 

 ground and opened my fingers. He went as he 

 had surrendered, with steadiness and without 

 terror. From the summit of a fallen log he 

 turned and watched me walk slowly out of sight, 

 and I at least felt the better for the encounter. 



Of all tropical butterflies, heliconias seem the 



