I made up my mind to take Bissa-tee, the zoologist,
into myconfidence.
Ahundred times we had hair-breadth escapes from
Ecitons. We found we were not alone in this margin of theforest.
It was the nest of a trogon andcontained young
birds. As forourselves, the High Command, we never ate for weeks and
weeks.
Both Bissa-tee and myself were, a moment later,
clingingto the rough paper cover of the cylinder. One moreincident I must record on
account of its ludicrous effect. Anna-zee, ourbotanist, indulged in inexhaustible
mirth at the expense of theseliving corpses. As he lifted me close to his eye, I saw
Assa-ree clearingthe moat in a single, magnificent leap. The ground shook with the
rapid and ponderous tread ofsome large animal, presumably a mammal. Undoubtedly he
had been where we saw him from thebeginning. This interval having elapsed, I called
a council which I invitedAssa-ree to attend.
Up to this point I had been so fascinated by what
was going on thatI had no eyes for anything else.
This interval having elapsed, I called a council
which I invitedAssa-ree to attend. Undoubtedly he had been where we saw him from
thebeginning.
Thenext moment I was, like Bissa-tee, flung to the
ground.
But Assa-ree had provided for everything. I hardly
know how I managed to attendto what she was endeavouring to convey to
me.
The master had risenand was bending over the
wounded arm. On leaving the Wawaqueenses we had gone straight north. Assa-ree,
however, ran down the perpendicular flank of the beetleand out on the
water.
Whateverdata could be secured without trigonometric
calculations had allalong been recorded.
Every detail applies to the north end of Fonseca
Bay, on thePacific coast. Itwas a hardship which we bore cheerfully for the sake of
the cause. The Ecitons werestill rushing wildly about.
Now I cast a fleeting glance
atBissa-tee.
The spread between the temperatures at noon and
midnighthad also increased.
But thegeographical details given point to a more
northern location.
Returned to our temporary dwelling, I shut myself
up in the queenschamber. Howsuch a gash can be produced I have of course no means of
telling. We found we were not alone in this margin of theforest. As it turned out,
this gesture of menace was exactly what the humanwanted to produce.