П’ятнадцятирічний капітан

           "Well,no!"criedhe."No!"asifhewerereplyingtosomecontradiction,"No,thisant-hillhasnotbeenlongabandoned."

           "Whosaystothecontrary,Mr.Benedict?"saidDickSand."Recentlyornot,theimportantthingforusisthatthetermiteshaveleftit,becausewehavetotaketheirplace."

           "Theimportantthing,"repliedCousinBenedict,"willbetoknowwhytheyhaveleftit.Yesterday—thismorning,perhaps—thesesagaciousnewropterawerestillhere,because,seetheseliquidjuices;andthisevening——"

           "Well,whatdoyouconclude,Mr.Benedict?"askedDickSand.

           "Thatasecretpresentimenthascausedthemtoabandonthecone.Notonlyhaveallthetermiteslefttheircells,buttheyhavetakencaretocarryawaytheyounglarvae,ofwhichIcannotfindone.Well,Irepeatthatallthiswasnotdonewithoutamotive,andthatthesesagaciousinsectsforesawsomeneardanger."

           "Theyforesawthatweweregoingtoinvadetheirdwelling,"replied

           Hercules,laughing.

           "Indeed!"repliedCousinBenedict,whomthisanswersensiblyshocked."Youthinkyourselfsostrongthatyouwouldbedangeroustothesecourageousinsects?Afewthousandofthesenewropterawouldquicklyreduceyoutoaskeletoniftheyfoundyoudeadontheroad."

           "Dead,certainly,"repliedHercules,whowouldnotgiveup;"but,living,Icouldcrushmassesofthem."

           "Youmightcrushahundredthousand,fivehundredthousand,amillion,"repliedCousinBenedict,withanimation,"butnotathousandmillions;andathousandmillionswoulddevouryou,livingordead,tothelastmorsel."