54 Next to the Ground 



two rose on their hind legs, and with their 

 fore ones pummelled each other soundly, both 

 keeping jaws fast upon the thing in dispute. 

 Generally they fell over, thus blocking the 

 path and getting a huddle of distracted ants 

 either side themselves. The crowd jostled 

 and scrambled in a mighty human fashion as 

 though trying to see what it was all about, 

 but commonly the disturbance was over in a 

 minute. One fighter or the other quickly 

 gave in. Sometimes Joe saw two ants or 

 even three struggling home with a big load 

 — say a grain of rice or wheat kernel, or a 

 crumb of bread. They had their heads be- 

 neath the load, their bodies spread out in 

 wedge-shape, and held their heads as high as 

 possible, so as -to keep the load clear of the 

 ground. Once or twice he saw a fourth ant 

 stand almost upright opposite the bearers, 

 propping the load with head and fore legs, 

 and walking backwards with funny mincing 

 steps. 



An over-loaded ant or a tired one seemed 

 sometimes to ask help of another. The tired 

 ant dropped his load, stopped and rubbed a 

 feeler over the helper's head, then picked up 

 his burden and went on with it. The light 

 ant ran on an inch or so, then turned, over- 

 took the tired one, put his head under the 

 load, and kept it there until the nest was 



