Carl StephensonLeiningen Versus the AntsWord文件下载.docx
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Carl StephensonLeiningen Versus the AntsWord文件下载.docx
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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
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