o the places where there
was no room for them, and mournfully calling out that they also were
very hungry. So as soon as the pasteboard domicile was empty, the little
creatures descended from their elevation, and again pursued their line
of march, this time without any incident occurring until they saw in the
distance the figure of a man.

Now most of the ants had never seen a human being before, but what did
that matter? Their ardour rose, their eyes sparkled, their long slender
limbs raced over the ground, and soon the person who had been silly
enough to stand and watch the advancing host was covered with the nimble
insects, who quickly ran up into his coat-pockets, down his neck, and,
in fact, wherever there was any aperture, inserting their sharp fangs,
and injecting their poison, until he yelled with fear and pain. He had
not been very long in the country, and did not understand the habits of
the creatures, so at first he remained in his absurd position, capering
about, and trying to brush off the ants. But as he found that their
numbers so increased every moment, he began to get really alarmed, lest
he should soon be "eaten up alive," and so he ran away very
ignominiously, being pursued for some distance by the host of insects;
but as soon as he had outrun them, the difficult task of trying to
detach those already fastened to his person began. The fierce little
insects preferred being pulled to pieces to letting go their hold, and
their hooked mandibles remained securely fixed in poor John Lester's
skin long after their bodies had been torn off.

Fortunately for himself, Shiny-pate was not included in the number who
lost their lives. When the onslaught began, Long-legs commanded him to
keep his detachment quiet, as their services were not required; so the
steady little ant obeyed orders, and though he stood on tip-toe with
impatience, and trembled with excitement, he kept out of the fray.

"Now it is all over--march!" cried Long-legs authoritatively, as John's
flying coat-tails disappeared round a tree.

"Shall we not wait for the others?" inquired a young officer very
politely, saluting his commander with the back of his tiny foot in true
military style.

[Illustration: "AN ARMY OF ANTS" (_p. 210_)]

"None of them will ever return," replied the colonel sternly. "Do your
duty, and obey orders."

So the army again started off, and after a long and dusty march the
pioneers came in sight of a pretty little co