2o6 



Byrani and GJiopal. 



fact that there were some stages of exist- 

 ence in which the workers got the better 

 of the drones. 



He could sleep no more, and very soon 

 Bvram opened his eyes. The shadows van- 

 ished. Travelers were setting out on their 

 journeys. Our travelers devoted them- 

 selves to their morning meal, the birds 

 were fed, the fragments and uncooked food 

 given to the poor, only Byram wrapped a 

 lump of raw sugar in paper and folded it 

 in his cummer bund; and after a few pulls 

 at the hookah the sun rose above the hori- 

 zon, and Byram getting into the accus- 



tomed saddle, the round of the Bazaar was 

 soon made, and about a rupee and a 

 quarter — 62 cents — added to Byram's store. 



The first two miles of the journey was 

 well shaded with mango groves, but beyond 

 that, as far as the eye could reach, the plain 

 was devoted wholly to agriculture, and tree- 

 less, excepting for the few solitary acacias 

 which stood sentinel, each of its especial 

 well. A draught of water was indulged in at 

 one of the last gardens, but without dis- 

 mounting, and now Ghopal set his best foot 

 foremost, and trudged along with his wonted 

 burthen. 



The way was long and weary, the road 

 heavy with dust, and as the sun rose high 



in heaven, Ghopal from time to time passed 

 his hand across his brow and pressed off 

 the sweat that oozed out in beads, which 

 chased one another down his cheeks. 



By ten o'clock our travelers had com- 

 passed a good half of their journey to 

 Mora, the next town of importance on the 

 main road, and selecting a well, nicely 

 shaded by a well-grown acacia tree, they 

 came to a halt. There was a charpoy under 

 the acacia, on which Ghopal deposited his 

 burthen, and then lying down beside it he 

 was soon asleep. * * * * When he 

 awoke Byram was resting on his elbow, in- 

 tently watching the movements of some 

 ants. Ghopal sat up, and lollowing the 

 direction of his gaze, saw a number of ants 

 making for the acacia tree beneath which 

 he was lying. "What," inquired he of 

 Byram, " is the particular world's work on 

 which these little people are engaged this 

 morning?" 



"I do not understand their language," 

 said Byram, "but one of them — this fel- 

 low over here — has been up the tree, and 

 apparently made a discovery, for immedi- 

 ately on descending he set off in search of 

 help, and every one that he meets goes to 

 the tree, and mounts it as confidently as if 

 he had received full and reliable informa- 

 tion, as of course he has. Hundreds have 

 already ascended the tree, numbers are con- 

 stantly arriving, and still the discoverer is 

 spreading the news of his discovery in all 

 directions." 



"Do you think the discoverer can tell 

 his brethren what he has seen?" asked 

 Ghopal; "they cannot talk." 



" They certainly cannot converse together 

 as men do," .said Byram, "but just as cer- 

 tainly they have ample means of communi- 

 cating all their ideas to each other. They 

 appear to talk by means of their antennae, 

 but whatever the means, nothing can be 

 more certain than that they understand 

 each other, and that this regiment of ants 

 ascending this tree is doing so in conse- 



