THE ANT-LION 69 



more sand down upon the lion. We grew more 

 and more excited, our sympathy with the ant rather 

 ebbing as we saw how little she was mistress of the 

 situation, despite her much talked of wisdom. In 

 another minute the ant-lion would discover that 

 his capture lacked that flavor of formic acid he so 

 liked in his dinner and would throw the sand more 

 fiercely than before. Sister Ellen would have res- 

 cued the ant, but I demanded fair play. 



After many trials the ant succeeded in making 

 good her escape from the pit of our acquaintance. 

 But her experience availed her nothing. No sooner 

 had she left the first, than she floundered into a 

 neighboring pit, where she met her doom. 



