226 EDGE OF THE JUNGLE 
swiftest pace vouchsafed them. There were fool- 
ish folk who climbed up low ferns, achieving the 
swaying, topmost fronds only to be trailed by. 
the savage ants and brought down to instant 
death. 
Even the winged ones were not immune, for 
if they hesitated a second, an ant would seize 
upon them, and, although carried into the air, 
would not loosen his grip, but cling to them, ob- 
struct their flight, and perhaps bring them to 
earth in the heart of the jungle, where, cut off 
from their kind, the single combat would be 
waged to the death. From where I watched, 
I saw massacres innumerable; terrible battles in 
which some creature—a giant beside an ant— 
fought for his life, crushing to death scores of 
the enemy before giving up. 
They were a merciless army and their num- 
ber was countless, with host upon host follow- 
ing close on each other’s heels. A horde of war- 
riors found a bird in my game-bag, and left of 
it hardly a feather. I wondered whether they 
would discover me, and they did, though I think 
it was more by accident than by intention, 
Nevertheless a half-dozen ants appeared on the 
foot-strands, nervously twiddling their antenns 
