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carefully guarded as though they were prisoners. 

 All they do is to lay eggs, and even those eggs are 

 taken from them and given to us to take care of. 

 The queens are not allowed to go out for fear some 

 harm might happen to them." 



" But how do you suppose the queen managed 

 to get this far ? " asked Nipper. 



" Oh, she must have escaped from her guard in 

 some way. But come ! We must get on with this 

 beetle," and the two little ants returned busily to 

 their work. 



That was the second time in her life that Nipper 

 had seen a queen, but she was to see one a third 

 time under circumstances that were to change the 

 little ant's life in such a way as she had never 

 dreamed of. 



It was a warm day. So very warm that the ants 

 were carrying all the larvae to a cooler room. 



Nipper happened somehow or other to be busy 

 down in the nest that day. 



The other ants were all so occupied that they 

 did not notice a sound that was coming nearer and 

 nearer;— a low, deep throbbing on the ground 

 like the sound of many feet. 



Nipper indeed heard it and paused a moment. 



