The three men boat pulled him out and brought him aboard, night he died

III

Holroyd captain came cabin swollen and contorted body lieutenant lay and stood together stern monitor, staring sinister vessel they trailed behind them close, dark night that had only phantom flickerings of sheet lightning to illuminate it The cuberta, vague black triangle, rocked about steamer's wake, her sails bobbing and flapping, black smoke funnels, spark-lit ever and again, streamed over her swaying masts

Gerilleau's mind was inclined to run unkind things the lieutenant had said heat last fever

" I murdered 'im," he protested " simply absurd Someone _'ad aboard Are we to run away confounded ants whenever they show up ? "

Holroyd said nothing thinking of disciplined rush of little black shapes across bare sunlit planking

" his place ," harped Gerilleau "He died execution duty What has he to complain of ? Murdered ! . But the poor fellow was-- it ? --demented not right mind The poison swelled him . U'm "

They came to long silence

" sink that canoe--burn it "

"And then ? "

The inquiry irritated Gerilleau His shoulders went up, his hands flew out at right angles body " one ? " , his voice going an angry squeak

"Anyhow," he broke out vindictively, "every ant in dat cuberta ! -- burn dem alive ! "

Holroyd was not moved to conversation distant ululation of howling monkeys filled the sultry night with foreboding sounds, and gunboat drew near the black mysterious banks reinforced by depressing clamour of frogs

" one ? " the captain repeated after vast interval, and suddenly becoming active and savage and blasphemous, decided to burn the Santa Rosa without further delay Everyone aboard was pleased idea, everyone helped with zest; they pulled cable, cut it, and dropped the boat and fired her with tow and kerosene, and soon the cuberta was crackling and flaring merrily amidst the immensities tropical night Holroyd watched the mounting yellow flare against the blackness, livid flashes of sheet lightning that came and went above the forest summits, throwing them into momentary silhouette, stoker stood behind him watching also

The stoker was stirred depths linguistics "_Saba go pop, pop," , "Wahaw" and laughed richly

But Holroyd was thinking little creatures decked canoe had also eyes and brains

The whole thing impressed him as incredibly foolish and wrong, but-- one ? This question came back enormously reinforced morrow, when at last the gunboat reached Badama

This place, with its leaf-thatch-covered houses and sheds, its creeper-invaded sugar-mill, its little jetty of timber and canes, was very still morning heat, and showed never sign of living men Whatever ants there were distance were too small

"All the people ," said Gerilleau, "but do anyhow 'oot and vissel "

So Holroyd hooted and whistled

Then the captain fell into doubting fit worst kind "Dere is do," presently, "What's that ? " said Holroyd

"'Oot and vissel again "

So

The captain walked his deck and gesticulated to himself many things mind Fragments of speeches came lips He appeared addressing some imaginary public tribunal either in Spanish or Portuguese Holroyd's improving ear detected something about ammunition out preoccupations suddenly into English "My dear 'Olroyd ! " he cried, and broke off with "But what can one do ? "

They took the boat field-glasses, and went close in to examine the place They made out number of big ants, whose still postures had certain effect of watching them, dotted edge rude embarkation jetty Gerilleau tried ineffectual pistol shots Holroyd thinks he distinguished curious earthworks running nearer houses, the work insect conquerors human habitations The explorers pulled past the jetty, and became aware of human skeleton wearing loin cloth, and very bright and clean and shining, lying beyond They came to pause regarding this .

"I 'ave all dose lives to consider," said Gerilleau suddenly

Holroyd turned and stared captain, realising slowly that he referred unappetising mixture of races that constituted his crew

"To send landing party-- impossible--impossible poisoned, swell, swell up and abuse me and die totally impossible . land, land alone, alone, in thick boots and with my life in my hand Perhaps live Or again--I land know know "

Holroyd thought , but nothing

"De whole thing," said Gerilleau suddenly, "'as been got up me ridiculous De whole thing ! "

They paddled about and regarded the clean white skeleton from various points of view, and then they returned gunboat Then Gerilleau's indecisions became terrible Steam was got up, and afternoon the monitor went on up the river with an air of going to ask somebody something, and by sunset came back again and anchored thunderstorm gathered and broke furiously, and then the night became beautifully cool and quiet and everyone slept on deck Except Gerilleau, who tossed about and muttered dawn he awakened Holroyd

"Lord ! " said Holroyd, "what now ? "

" decided," said the captain

"What--to land ? " said Holroyd, sitting up brightly

"No ! " said the captain, and was for time very reserved " decided," he repeated, and Holroyd manifested symptoms of impatience

"Well,--yes," said the captain, "_I shall fire de big gun ! "

And ! Heaven knows what the ants thought of it, but He fired it twice with great sternness and ceremony All the crew had wadding in their ears, and an effect of going into action whole affair, and first they hit and wrecked the old sugar-mill, and then they smashed the abandoned store behind the jetty And then Gerilleau experienced the inevitable reaction

" no good," to Holroyd; "no good at all No sort of bally good go back--for instructions Dere de devil of row about dis ammunition--oh ! de devil of row ! You don't know, 'Olroyd . "

He stood regarding the world in infinite perplexity for space

"But what else was there ? " he cried

afternoon the monitor started down stream again, and evening landing party took the body lieutenant and buried it bank the new ants have not appeared .

IV

I heard this story in fragmentary state from Holroyd not three

These new ants have got into his brain, and he back to England idea, as , of "exciting people" " too late " they threaten British Guiana, which much over trifle of thousand miles from their present sphere of activity, and Colonial Office ought to work upon them at once He declaims with great passion: "These are intelligent ants Just think what that means ! "

There serious pest, and Brazilian Government is well advised in offering prize of five hundred pounds for some effectual method of extirpation certain too that since they first appeared hills beyond Badama, about three , achieved extraordinary conquests The whole south bank Batemo River, for nearly sixty miles, in their effectual occupation; driven men out completely, occupied plantations and settlements, and boarded and captured one ship even said in some inexplicable way bridged the very considerable Capuarana arm and pushed many miles towards the Amazon itself There little doubt far more reasonable and with far better social organisation than any previously known ant species; instead of being in dispersed societies organised into in effect single nation; but their peculiar and immediate formidableness lies not as intelligent use they make of poison against their larger enemies It would seem this poison of theirs is closely akin to snake poison, and highly probable they actually manufacture it, and larger individuals among them carry the needle-like crystals of it in their attacks upon men

extremely difficult any detailed information about these new competitors sovereignty globe No eye-witnesses activity, except for such glimpses as Holroyd's, have survived the encounter The most extraordinary legends prowess and capacity are in circulation region Upper Amazon, and grow daily steady advance invader stimulates men's imaginations through their fears These strange little creatures are credited use of implements and knowledge of fire and metals and with organised feats of engineering that stagger our northern minds--unused to such feats Sabas of Rio de Janeiro, who in 1841 drove tunnel under the Parahyba where as wide Thames at London Bridge--but with an organised and detailed method of record and communication analogous to our books their action steady progressive settlement, involving the flight or slaughter of every human being new areas they invade increasing rapidly in numbers, and Holroyd is firmly convinced that finally dispossess man over the whole of tropical South America

And why should they stop at tropical South America ?

Well, there , anyhow By 1911 or thereabouts, go on going, they ought to strike the Capuarana Extension Railway, and force themselves attention European capitalist

By 1920 half-way down the Amazon I fix 1950 or '60 latest discovery of Europe