of
the men from recognizing and approving the smell of the termite-paste
that covered their bodies.

"Follow me!" snapped Denny, remembering that the hideous attacking thing
before them was blind, and gaining from that knowledge swift
inspiration.

Jim gathered his muscles to follow at command. But he almost shouted
aloud as he saw Denny leap--straight toward the enormous, snapping
mandibles.

In an instant, however, Denny's idea was made clear. With a slide that
would have done credit to any baseball player, the entomologist
catapulted on his chest past the snapping peril. Jim followed, with not
a foot to spare. They were not past the soft rear-parts of the thing,
but they were at least past its horrible jaws. And before the monster
could turn its unwieldy bulk in the tunnel, the ants were upon it.

For a few seconds, blinded to their own danger by the fascination of the
struggle going on before them, the two men witnessed the grim watcher of
the tunnel as it drove back wave after wave of attacking ants.

Two at a time, the invaders charged that wall of living horn. And two at
a time they were swept against the walls, or slashed in two by the
enormous mandibles. One against an army; but it was a full minute or so
before the one began to weaken.

"Come," whispered Dennis, at last. "If what I think is going to happen
occurs, this will be no place for us."

* * * * *

They went ahead, with the din of battle dying behind them, till they saw
a small tunnel branching off beside the main stem. Into this they
squeezed. But as Jim started to go farther down its constricted length,
Dennis stopped him.

"We're fairly safe here, I think. We'll stay and watch...."

Silently, motionless, they lurked in the entrance of the side-avenue,
and peered out at the main avenue they had just left. And now that
avenue began to buzz with traffic.

First, more of the horrors with the enormous scissor-mandibles began to
stream past them. In twos and threes, then in whole squads, they
lumbered by, bound for the ant army that had invaded their sanctum.

Not quite too far ahead to be out of sight, the defenders halted.
Several of their number went forward to help the dying Horatius. The
rest lined up in a triple row across a wide patch in the tunnel,
presenting a phalanx it would appear that nothing could beat.

"How do they know enough to gather here from distant parts of this
hollow mountain?" whispe