I would not only send them: I wasgoing to go
myself. No doubt they were searching for the Rubicundas, intending toenslave them in
turn.
They hold a council; and as aresult of their
deliberations they decamp. Amid a profound silence she began her great
argument.
The tribe of Polyergus, she signified, belonged to
the slave-makingants. The latter, however, did not come near us. On the march,
Bissa-tee kept close by my side.
Then shedropped heavily to the ground, resting her
case and spreading outher legs sideways. Wewere delayed for an hour or so, till
Bissa-tee, rejoining me,reported that nothing could be done.
The raiding army, however, hadconsisted exclusively
of Rubicundas. I had the ranks re-formed; and we proceeded; it seemed imperativeto
get away from the place. There is; but that value is not increased byincreasing
knowledge.
Their purposeachieved, they had dropped to the
ground and escaped.
On that occasion, Bissa-tee presumed so far as to
issue a generalorder without consulting me. Whereupon she flew into a towering rage
which, Ithought at first, would turn against myself. I was still far from having
fathomedthe whole of her treachery. The season was that marvellous one in which the
year seems to cometo a halt.
In its centre a cylindrical opening
ledperpendicularly down into the soil. Bissa-tees order wasto lie low and to offer
no resistance.
Imagine the daring ofthese
investigators!
Now for a summary of the discussion that took place
between Bissa-tee and Anna-zee.
Two or three moreencounters like this, and where
was our chance of survival?
But what made them such formidable
enemies?
The fight which followed furnished a sight worth
seeing, indeed.