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Besides, these newroptera furnish the natives with a juicy food. Broiled ants, my friends; I know of nothing better in the world!" "Have you then eaten them, Mr. Benedict?" asked Hercules. "Never," replied the wise professor; "but I shall eat some." "Where?" "Here." "Here; we are not in Africa!" said Tom, very quickly.
It was, certainly, a fortunate circumstance that the ant-hill had been abandoned by the termites. With a few thousands of these ants, it would have been uninhabitable. But, had it been evacuated for some time, or had the voracious newroptera but just quitted it? It was not superfluous to ponder this question.
"Recently or not, the important thing for us is that the termites have left it, because we have to take their place." "The important thing," replied Cousin Benedict, "will be to know why they have left it. Yesterday this morning, perhaps these sagacious newroptera were still here, because, see these liquid juices; and this evening " "Well, what do you conclude, Mr. Benedict?" asked Dick Sand.
No immediate danger seemed to menace these human termites, substituted for the colony of newroptera. The young novice then thought of refreshing himself by a few hours' sleep, as he already felt its influence. Only with supreme precaution Dick Sand lay on that bed of clay, at the bottom of the cone, near the narrow edifice.
"They foresaw that we were going to invade their dwelling," replied Hercules, laughing. "Indeed!" replied Cousin Benedict, whom this answer sensibly shocked. "You think yourself so strong that you would be dangerous to these courageous insects? A few thousand of these newroptera would quickly reduce you to a skeleton if they found you dead on the road."
"These admirable insects," said he, without taking the trouble to find out if any one were listening "these admirable insects belong to the marvelous order of newroptera, whose horns are longer than the head, the jaws very distinct, and whose lower wings are generally equal to the upper ones.
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