A tiny pebble was placed, then a few
pellets of soil were added. Then the worker walked away, took a
few turns as though surveying the surroundings, and cautiously
came back. The coast was clear! Now she deftly crawled into the
small open space, and I could see from the movements inside, and
an occasional glimpse of a tip of her antennae, that she was
completing the work of concealment from the inside. At last her
task was done, and all was quiet. Just then a single Sanguine
warrior, perhaps a straggler from the invaders' army, or some
independent scout, it may be, approached the spot. It walked
about the nest, which certainly looked much like the surrounding
surface; sounded or felt here and there with its antennae; passed
over the very door into which the Schaufuss ant had disappeared,
and although it evidently had its suspicion awakened, at last
moved away.

[Illustration: FIG. 4.--"It was Swathed Like a Mummy at Last"
(p. xxiii).]

"Good!" I exclaimed heartily. "Baffled, Sir Sanguine, baffled! I
am glad that the instinct of home protection has proved too much
for your wretched kidnapping cunning!"

"Aye, aye!" again spoke the voice of my unseen fairy, "baffled
this time, perhaps. But can you be sure that the slaveholder
scout will not be back again, with a host of its fellows, and do
its work more surely?"

[Illustration: FIG. 5.--The Orbweaver Captured by a Wasp.]

I had not thought of that, and indeed, I was pained to think it
when suggested. Now I left the two nests, the plundered one and
its preserved neighbor, and followed the column of Sanguines
which stretched a nearly straight line of red and black for
several rods, to their home. The kidnappers were bearing their
prey into the open gates. Look at this! Crowds of blacks in a
high state of agitation came forth to meet and greet the
plunderers of their own fellows! Yes, these were the domesticated
slaves of the Sanguines, themselves Fuscous ants, the same
species and perhaps from the very nest that was now being
desolated. And there they were rejoicing in the booty, welcoming
home the robbers, and if naturalists tell us truly, had even
urged them forth upon the Expedition.

[Illustration: FIG. 6.--"The Clay Sarcophagus on Yonder Barn."]

"That's the worst of all!" I exclaimed aloud, unable to suppress
my indignation. "One might find excuse for