d in miscalling a termitary. Playing
with bugs, that was all. Wasting his time poking into the affairs of
termites--and acting, by George, as though those affairs were of supreme
significance!

He grinned, and tamped and relighted the tobacco in his pipe. He
refrained from putting his thoughts into words, however. He knew, of
old, that Denny was apt to explode if his beloved work were interrupted
by a careless layman. Besides, Dennis had brought him here rather under
protest, simply feeling that it was up to a host to do a little
something or other by way of trying to amuse an old college mate who had
come for a week's visit. Since he was there on sufferance, so to speak,
it was up to him to keep still and not interrupt Denny's play.

The saw rasped softly another time or two, then moved, handled with
surgeon's care, more gently--till at last a section about as big as the
palm of a man's hand was loose on the mound-top.

Denny's eyes snapped. His whole wiry, tough body quivered. He visibly
held his breath as he prepared to flip back that sawed section of
curious, strong mound wall.

He snatched up his glass, overturned the section.

Jim drew near to watch, too, seized in spite of himself by some of the
scientist's almost uncontrollable excitement.

Under the raised section turmoil reigned for a moment. Jim saw a horde
of brownish-white insects, looking something like ants, dashing
frenziedly this way and that as the unaccustomed light of sun and
exposure of outer air impinged upon them. But the turmoil lasted only a
little while.

Quickly, in perfect order, the termites retreated. The exposed honeycomb
of cells and runways was deserted. A slight heaving of earth told how
the insects were blocking off the entrances to the exposed floor, and
making that floor their new roof to replace the roof this invading giant
had stripped from over them.

In three minutes there wasn't a sign of life in the hole. The
observation--if one could call so short a glimpse at so abnormally
acting a colony an observation--was over.

* * * * *

Denny rose to his feet, and dashed his glass to the ground. His face was
twisted in lines of utter despair, and through his clenched teeth the
breath whistled in uneven gasps.

"My God!" he groaned. "My God--if only I could see them! If only I could
get in there, and watch them at their normal living. But it's always
like this. The only glance we're permitted