Carl StephensonLeiningen Versus the Ants.docx

Carl StephensonLeiningen Versus the Ants.docx

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CarlStephensonLeiningenVersustheAnts

LeiningenVersustheAnts

byCarlStephenson

"UNLESStheyaltertheircourseandthere'snoreasonwhytheyshould,they'llreachyourplantationintwodaysatthelatest."

LeiningensuckedplacidlyatacigaraboutthesizeofacorncobandforafewsecondsgazedwithoutansweringattheagitatedDistrictCommissioner.Thenhetookthecigarfromhislips,andleanedslightlyforward.Withhisbristlinggreyhair,bulkynose,andlucideyes,hehadthelookofanagingandshabbyeagle.

"Decentofyou,"hemurmured,"paddlingallthiswayjusttogivemethetip.Butyou'repullingmylegofcoursewhenyousayImustdoabunk.Why,evenaherdofsaurianscouldn'tdrivemefromthisplantationofmine."

TheBrazilianofficialthrewupleanandlankyarmsandclawedtheairwithwildlydistendedfingers."Leiningen!

"heshouted."You'reinsane!

They'renotcreaturesyoucanfight--they'reanelemental--an'actofGod!

'Tenmileslong,twomileswide--ants,nothingbutants!

Andeverysingleoneofthemafiendfromhell;beforeyoucanspitthreetimesthey'lleatafull-grownbuffalotothebones.Itellyouifyoudon'tclearoutatoncethere'llbenothingleftofyoubutaskeletonpickedascleanasyourownplantation."

Leiningengrinned."ActofGod,myeye!

Anyway,I'mnotanoldwoman;I'mnotgoingtorunforitjustbecauseanelemental'sontheway.Anddon'tthinkI'mthekindoffatheadwhotriestofendofflightningwithhisfistseither.Iusemyintelligence,oldman.Withme,thebrainisn'tasecondblindgut;Iknowwhatit'stherefor.WhenIbeganthismodelfarmandplantationthreeyearsago,Itookintoaccountallthatcouldconceivablyhappentoit.AndnowI'mreadyforanythingandeverything--includingyourants."

TheBrazilianroseheavilytohisfeet."I'vedonemybest,"hegasped."Yourobstinacyendangersnotonlyyourself,butthelivesofyourfourhundredworkers.Youdon'tknowtheseants!

"

Leiningenaccompaniedhimdowntotheriver,wheretheGovernmentlaunchwasmoored.Thevesselcastoff.Asitmoveddownstream,theexclamationmarknearedtherailandbeganwavingitsarmsfrantically.Longafterthelaunchhaddisappearedroundthebend,Leiningenthoughthecouldstillhearthatdimmingimploringvoice,"Youdon'tknowthem,Itellyou!

Youdon'tknowthem!

"

Butthereportedenemywasbynomeansunfamiliartotheplanter.Beforehestartedworkonhissettlement,hehadlivedlongenoughinthecountrytoseeforhimselfthefearfuldevastationssometimeswroughtbytheseravenousinsectsintheircampaignsforfood.Butsincethenhehadplannedmeasuresofdefenseaccordingly,andthese,hewasconvincedwereineverywayadequatetowithstandtheapproachingperil.

Moreover,duringhisthreeyearsasaplanter,Leiningenhadmetanddefeateddrought,flood,plagueandallother"actsofGod"whichhadcomeagainsthim-unlikehisfellow-settlersinthedistrict,whohadmadelittleornoresistance.Thisunbrokensuccessheattributedsolelytotheobservanceofhislifelongmotto:

Thehumanbrainneedsonlytobecomefullyawareofitspowerstoconquereventheelements.Dullardsreeledsenselesslyandaimlesslyintotheabyss;cranks,howeverbrilliant,losttheirheadswhencircumstancessuddenlyalteredoracceleratedandranintostonewalls,sluggardsdriftedwiththecurrentuntiltheywerecaughtinwhirlpoolsanddraggedunder.Butsuchdisasters,Leiningencontended,merelystrengthenedhisargumentthatintelligence,directedaright,invariablymakesmanthemasterofhisfate.

Yes,Leiningenhadalwaysknownhowtograpplewithlife.Evenhere,inthisBrazilianwilderness,hisbrainhadtriumphedovereverydifficultyanddangerithadsofarencountered.Firsthehadvanquishedprimalforcesbycunningandorganization,thenhehadenlistedtheresourcesofmodernsciencetoincreasemiraculouslytheyieldofhisplantation.Andnowhewassurehewouldprovemorethanamatchforthe"irresistible"ants.

Thatsameevening,however,Leiningenassembledhisworkers.Hehadnointentionofwaitingtillthenewsreachedtheirearsfromothersources.Mostofthemhadbeenborninthedistrict;thecry"Theantsarecoming!

'"wastothemanimperativesignalforinstant,panic-strickenflight,aspringforlifeitself.ButsogreatwastheIndians'trustinLeiningen,inLeiningen'sword,andinLeiningen'swisdom,thattheyreceivedhiscurttidings,andhisordersfortheimminentstruggle,withthecalmnesswithwhichtheyweregiven.Theywaited,unafraid,alert,asifforthebeginningofanewgameorhuntwhichhehadjustdescribedtothem.Theantswereindeedmighty,butnotsomightyastheboss.Letthemcome!

Theycameatnoonthesecondday.Theirapproachwasannouncedbythewildunrestofthehorses,scarcelycontrollablenoweitherinstallorunderrider,scentingfromafaravaporinstinctwithhorror.

Itwasannouncedbyastampedeofanimals,timidandsavage,hurtlingpasteachother;jaguarsandpumasflashingbynimblestagsofthepampas,bulkytapirs,nolongerhunters,themselveshunted,outpacingfleetkinkajous,maddenedherdsofcattle,headslowered,nostrilssnorting,rushingthroughtribesoflopingmonkeys,chatteringinadementiaofterror;thenfollowedthecreepingandspringingdenizensofbushandsteppe,bigandlittlerodents,snakes,andlizards.

Pell-melltherabbleswarmeddownthehilltotheplantation,scatteredrightandleftbeforethebarrierofthewater-filledditch,thenspedonwardstotheriver,where,againhindered,theyfledalongitsbankoutofsight.

Thiswater-filledditchwasoneofthedefencemeasureswhichLeiningenhadlongsincepreparedagainsttheadventoftheants.Itencompassedthreesidesoftheplantationlikeahugehorseshoe.Twelvefeetacross,butnotverydeep,whendryitcouldhardlybedescribedasanobstacletoeithermanorbeast.Buttheendsofthe"horseshoe"ranintotheriverwhichformedthenorthernboundary,andfourthside,oftheplantation.Andattheendnearerthehouseandoutbuildingsinthemiddleoftheplantation,Leiningenhadconstructedadambymeansofwhichwaterfromtherivercouldbedivertedintotheditch.

Sonow,byopeningthedam,hewasabletoflinganimposinggirdleofwater,ahugequadrilateralwiththeriverasitsbase,completelyaroundtheplantation,likethemoatencirclingamedievalcity.Unlesstheantswerecleverenoughtobuildrafts.theyhadnohopeofreachingtheplantation,Leiningenconcluded.

Thetwelve-footwaterditchseemedtoaffordinitselfallthesecurityneeded.Butwhileawaitingthearrivaloftheants,Leiningenmadeafurtherimprovement.Thewesternsectionoftheditchranalongtheedgeofatamarindwood,andthebranchesofsomegreattreesreachedoverthewater.Leiningennowhadthemloppedsothatantscouldnotdescendfromthemwithinthe"moat."

Thewomenandchildren,thentheherdsofcattle,wereescortedbypeonsonraftsovertheriver,toremainontheothersideinabsolutesafetyuntiltheplunderershaddeparted.Leiningengavethisinstruction,notbecausehebelievedthenon-combatantswereinanydanger,butinordertoavoidhamperingtheefficiencyofthedefenders."Criticalsituationsfirstbecomecrises,"heexplainedtohismen,"whenoxenorwomengetexcited."

Finally,hemadeacarefulinspectionofthe"innermoat"--asmallerditchlinedwithconcrete,whichextendedaroundthehillonwhichstoodtheranchhouse,barns,stablesandotherbuildings.Intothisconcreteditchemptiedtheinflowpipesfromthreegreatpetroltanks.Ifbysomemiracletheantsmanagedtocrossthewaterandreachedtheplantation,this"rampartofpetrol,'wouldbeanabsolutelyimpassableprotectionforthebesiegedandtheirdwellingsandstock.Such,atleast,wasLeiningen'sopinion.

Hestationedhismenatirregulardistancesalongthewaterditch,thefirstlineofdefense.ThenhelaydowninhishammockandpuffeddrowsilyawayathispipeuntilapeoncamewiththereportthattheantshadbeenobservedfarawayintheSouth.

Leiningenmountedhishorse,whichatthefeelofitsmasterseemedtoforgetitsuneasiness,androdeleisurelyinthedirectionofthethreateningoffensive.Thesouthernstretchofditch--theuppersideofthequadrilateral--wasnearlythreemileslong;fromitscenteronecouldsurveytheentirecountryside.ThiswasdestinedtobethesceneoftheoutbreakofwarbetweenLeiningen'sbrainandtwentysquaremilesoflife-destroyingants.

Itwasasightonecouldneverforget.Overtherangeofhills,asfaraseyecouldsee,creptadarkeninghem,everlongerandbroader,untiltheshadowspreadacrosstheslopefromeasttowest,thendownwards,downwards,uncannilyswift,andallthegreenherbageofthatwidevistawasbeingmownasbyagiantsickle,leavingonlythevastmovingshadow,extending,deepening,andmovingrapidlynearer.

WhenLeiningen'smen,behindtheirbarrierofwater,perceivedtheapproachofthelong-expectedfoe,theygaveventtotheirsuspenseinscreamsandimprecations.Butasthedistancebegantolessenbetweenthe"sonsofhell"andthewaterditch,theyrelapsedintosilence.Beforetheadvanceofthatawe-inspiringthrong,theirbeliefinthepowersofthebossbegantosteadilydwindle.

EvenLeiningenhimself,whohadriddenupjustintimetorestoretheirlossofheartbyadisplayofunshakablecalm,evenhecouldnotfreehimselffromaqualmofmalaise.Yonderwerethousandsofmillionsofvoraciousjawsbearingdownuponhimandonlyasuddenlyinsignificant,narrowditchlaybetweenhimandhismenandbeinggnawedtothebones"beforeyoucanspitthreetimes."

Hadn'tthisbrainforoncetakenonmorethanitcouldmanage?

Ifthe