Driver Ants 



a small village to try a man for murder, and we 

 walked a mile or so through thick bush to the 

 house of a missionary, passing on our way two 

 great streams of driver ants, going and coming 

 to and from a store of food they had discovered. 

 My chief stepped over this foot-wide mass of 

 vindictiveness, and I followed gingerly. Coming 

 home, however, we did not get off quite so 

 simply. It was not dark, but the short tropical 

 afternoon was closing in, and the half-lights 

 played pranks with us. Suddenly Sir Claude 

 put his foot right into the middle of a stream of 

 driver ants, who set off at once on a tour of 

 inspection up his boots. With a howl of dismay 

 the victim started for the creek, calling wildly 

 to the launch for the dinghy. Dignity was 

 hurled to the winds, and we were rowed out in 

 record time, and in record time too the chief 

 jumped out of his consular uniform. 



43 



