^20 JUNGLE PEACE 



of carrying them up to the surface began. The 

 hordes of ravening ants resolved themselves, as 

 I have said, into five distinct columns of traflBc 

 which, inch by inch, fought for a footing up 

 three of the four sides. 



Half of the bottom of the pit was a sort of 

 flat table-land several inches higher than the rest, 

 and the first thing the ants did was to carry 

 all their booty to this steppe, in pieces or bodily, 

 some of the unfortunate creatures still protest- 

 ing weakly as they were dragged along. In 

 fifteen minutes the lowest part of the pit bot- 

 tom was deserted, and after much hesitation I 

 vaulted down and found a footing reasonably 

 safe from attack. 



Two traffic columns had already reached the 

 summit, and the others were forging rapidly 

 ahead. All used a similar method of advance. 

 A group of mixed castes led the way, acting 

 as scouts, sappers, and miners. They searched 

 out every slope, every helpful step or shelf of 

 sand. They took advantage of every hurdle of 

 white grass-roots as a welcome grip which would 

 bind the shifting sand grains. Now and then 

 they had to cross a bare, barren slope with no 

 natural advantages. Behind them pressed a 



