Page:The heart of Monadnock (IA heartofmonadnock00timl).pdf/83

ony of scrambling ants on a level bit of sand near him; what errands of frantic uselessness, as far as a mere ignorant human observer could see! They ran hurriedly in every direction and got nowhere. One portly ant raced with desperate speed as fast as it could go, picked up a small log—in proportion to himself—tugged it along, came to a mountain of pebble, toiled and perspired over its top (though he could have gone around in one half second), dropped his log, forgot where he mislaid it, turned right about face and pelted back to his starting place, disappearing into a hole in the ground, doubtless there to discourse to his wife on the high speed of living. But all his fellows were doing the same thing. The observer watched them curiously. Not one apparently was doing anything useful. Amusing themselves, then, as even ants have a right to do, surely? Was it to them a sort of football game in its essence? No teamwork if it were. What useless things they picked up and struggled off with! He won-