Denny bounded free and again sent the length of his spear into the body.The Raid on the Termites
A Complete Novelette
By Paul Ernst
CHAPTER I
The Challenge of the Mound
It was a curious, somehowweird-looking thing, thatmound. About a yard in heightand three and a half in diameter,it squatted in the grassy grovenext the clump of trees like anenormous, inverted soup plate. Hereand there tufts of grass waved onit, of a richer, deeper color, testifyingto the unwholesome fertilityof the crumbling outer stuff thathad flaked from the solid moundwalls.
Like an excrescence on the flankof Mother Earth herself, the moundloomed; like an unhealthy, cancerousgrowth. And inside the enigmaticthing was another world. Adark world, mysterious, horrible,peopled by blind and terrible demons—aworld like a Dante's dreamof a second Inferno.
Such, at least, were the thoughtsof Dennis Braymer as he workedwith delicate care at the task ofsawing into thehard cement of aportion of thewall near therounded top.
His eyes, dark brown and rimmedwith thick black lashes, flashedearnestly behind his glasses as theyconcentrated on his difficult job.His face, lean and tanned, was amask of seriousness. To him, obviously,this was a task of vitalimportance; a task worthy of alla man's ability of brain and logic.
Obviously also, his companionthought of the work as just somethingwith which to fill an idleafternoon. Hepuffed at a pipe,and regarded theentomologistwith a smile.
To Jim Holden, Denny wassimply fussing fruitlessly andabsurdly with an ordinary "ant-hill,"as he persisted in miscallinga termitary. Playing with bugs, thatwas all. Wasting his time pokinginto the affairs of termites—andacting, by George, as though thoseaffairs were of supreme significance!
He grinned, and tamped and relightedthe tobacco in his pipe. Herefrained from putting his thoughtsinto words, however. He knew, ofold, that Denny was apt to explodeif his beloved work were interruptedby a careless layman. Besides,Dennis had brought him hererather under protest, simply feelingthat it was up to a host to doa little something or other by wayof trying to amuse an old collegemate who had come for a week'svisit. Since he was there on sufferance,so to speak, it was up tohim to keep still and not interruptDenny's play.
The saw rasped softly anothertime or two, then moved, handledwith surgeon's care, more gently—tillat last a section about as big asthe palm of a man's hand was looseon the mound-top.
Denny's eyes snapped. His wholewiry, tough body quivered. He visiblyheld his breath as he preparedto flip back that sawed section ofcurious, strong mound wall.
He snatched up his glass, overturnedthe section.
Jim drew near to watch, too,seized in spite of himself by someof the scientist's almost uncontrollableexcitement.
Under the raised section turmoilreigned for a moment. Jim saw ahorde of brownish-white insects,looking something like ants, dashingfrenziedly this way and that asthe unaccustomed light of sun andexposure of outer air impingedupon them. But the turmoil lastedonly a little while.
Quickly, in perfect order, the termitesretreated. The exposed honeycombof cells and runways was deserted.A