94 



Slave as she was, Nipper caught the red ant and 

 held her. " Where is the queen ? " she cried again. 



The red ant looked at her vaguely. " Oh I 

 don't know," she cried. " She was in the nest, but 

 I don't know where she is now." 



Without a word Nipper dropped the red ant and' 

 ran toward the opening into the ruined nest. 



" Where are you going ? " cried someone ; but 

 Nipper did not stop to answer. Somewhere down 

 in the nest she had no doubt the poor red queen 

 was still lying, deserted by all, and perhaps crushed 

 under some fallen earth. 



Along one passage after another went the brave 

 Nipper. Sometimes the way was so blocked with 

 fallen earth that she had to stop to make her way 

 through it. Sometimes she had to go back and 

 find her way around by another passage. 



At last beyond a heap of fallen earth she thought 

 she heard a faint moan. "Your majesty, is that 

 you ? " cried Nipper. 



There was no answer, only after a while another 

 moan, fainter than before. 



Now Nipper flew like a little tiger at the earth 

 that blocked her way. With teeth and legs she 

 worked at it until she made an opening. 



