Suddenly the mass seemed to sink and disappear. There was no sign of ant-hills in the turf; but after a while we detected an almost imperceptible orifice, through which we saw them vanish in less time than it takes me to write these words. We asked ourselves if it was an entrance to their domicile; if they had re-entered their city. In a minute at the utmost they gave us a reply, and showed us our mistake. They issued in a throng, each carrying a captive in its mandibles.
From the short time they had taken, it was evident that they had a previous knowledge of the locality, the place where the eggs were deposited, the time when they were to assemble, and the degree of resistance they had to expect. Perhaps it was not their first journey. The little blacks on whom the red ants made this raid sallied out in considerable numbers; and I truly pitied them. They did not attempt to fight. They seemed frightened and stunned. They endeavored only to delay the red ants by clinging to them. A red ant was thus stopped; but another red one, who was free, relieved him of his burden, and thereupon the black ant relaxed his grasp.
It was, in fact, a pitiful sight. The blacks offered no serious resistance. The five hundred ants succeeded in carrying off nearly three hundred children. At two or three feet from the hole, the blacks ceased to pursue them, and resigned themselves to their fate. All this did not occupy ten minutes between the departure and the return. The two parties were very unequal. It was very probably an outrage often repeated--a tyranny of the great, who levied a tribute of children from their poor little neighbors.
“Oh! tell me, sailor, tell me true, Is my little lad, my Elihu, A-sailing with your ship?” The sailor’s eyes were dim with dew,-- “Your little lad, your Elihu?” He said with trembling lip,-- “What little lad? What ship?”
“What little lad? as if there could be Another such a one as he! What little lad, do you say? Why, Elihu, that took to sea The moment I put him off my knee! It was just the other day The Gray Swan sailed away!”
“The other day?” The sailor’s eyes Stood open with a great surprise:-- “The other day?--The Swan?” His heart began in his throat to rise. “Ay, ay, sir! here in the cupboard lies The jacket he had on!” “And so your lad is gone?”