TINY BUILDERS 
27 
ants came hurrying down between two spinach 
rows. Just as they got opposite my bush, they 
were set upon by a group of red ants of about the 
same size. They had it hot and heavy for a few 
minutes. Shortly it seemed that the robber horde 
was being worsted, and a half dozen or more of 
the blacks hurried away, leaving their comrades 
to finish the fight; then, what do you think, the 
reds rallied and killed the few blacks that were 
left and carried them away.” 
“ Such doings are an everyday occurrence in 
the ant world,” Uncle John assured. “ Plainly 
the first party was a band of heavily laden scouts; 
they no doubt carried webs or clay or perchance 
food of some kind. And they seized the first op¬ 
portunity to get away safe with their plunder. 
To the ants nothing matters but the common 
cause. Individual life is not worth a copper! 
Indeed, if a hunting party comes upon one of 
their number hard beset, they make haste always 
to seize the bone of contention and make off with 
it, but they evince no concern whatever over the 
fate of their comrade. Like the frontier woman 
who stood watching her husband wrestling with 
a bear, they don’t care a cent which whips! It is 
the bit of food or material needed by the common 
brotherhood that counts. 
“ Ants are vicious fighters; neither party ever 
cries for quarter, and the duel is usually to the 
