The diminutive black and gray army covered a space about three yards square, and was moving from the river across the path.
“I will interrupt their progress,” said the Peruvian, “and we shall have plenty of opportunity to observe them. Fetch me that pot full of water, Harvey.”
While the lad was hastening to the river, he dug with one of the picks until he had made a narrow channel about ten feet long, into which he poured the water as soon as it was brought him, and just as the vanguard of the ant army approached. The little soldiers halted on the edge of this ditch, and from the sides and rear hurried ants that evidently were officers.
“Now I shall give them a small bridge,” the señor said, “and if they have the intelligence of a body that I observed about a month ago, they will quickly make the footway broader and in a novel manner.”
Saying which, he cut a rather long twig, one that was narrow, but would reach across the little trench, and this he placed in position.
Two of the ants hurried on the little span, then returned to the army. They evidently gave some instructions, for two or three score of the main body left the ranks, and hurrying on to the twig, swung themselves from the sides in perfect line, until the passageway had been made three times as broad as before. Then, at an order, the army commenced moving over.
“Isn’t that wonderful!” exclaimed Hope-Jones.
“Indeed, yes. Many students of the ant rank him in intelligence next to man. You will observe that the little fellows who are offering their bodies as planks for the bridge are of a different color, and evidently different species from the marchers, and that others of both kinds constitute the main body.”
“Yes, that is so.”
“The little fellows are slaves.”