I was witness to events of a less peaceful character.  One day when I went out to my wood-pile， or rather my pile of stumps， I observed two large ants， the one red， the other much larger， nearly half an inch long， and black， fiercely contending with one another. Having once got hold they never let go， but struggled and wrestled and rolled on the chips incessantly.  Looking farther， I was surprised to find that the chips were covered with such combatants，that it was not a duellum， but a bellum， a war between two races of ants， the red always pitted against the black， and frequently two red ones to one black.  The legions of these Myrmidons covered all the hills and vales in my wood-yard， and the ground was already strewn with the dead and dying， both red and black.  It was the only battle which I have ever witnessed， the only battle-field I ever trod while the battle was raging； internecine war； the red republicans on the one hand， and the black imperialists on the other.  On every side they were engaged in deadly combat， yet without any noise that I could hear， and human soldiers never fought so resolutely.  I watched a couple that were fast locked in each other's embraces， in a little sunny valley amid the chips， now at noonday prepared to fight till the sun went down， or life went out. The smaller red champion had fastened himself like a vice to his adversary's front， and through all the tumblings on that field never for an instant ceased to gnaw at one of his feelers near the root，having already caused the other to go by the board； while the stronger black one dashed him from side to side， and， as I saw on looking nearer， had already divested him of several of his members. They fought with more pertinacity than bulldogs.  Neither manifested the least disposition to retreat.  It was evident that their battle-cry was "Conquer or die."  In the meanwhile there came along a single red ant on the hillside of this valley， evidently full of excitement， who either had despatched his foe， or had not yet taken part in the battle； probably the latter， for he had lost none of his limbs； whose mother had charged him to return with his shield or upon it.  Or perchance he was some Achilles， who had nourished his wrath apart， and had now come to avenge or rescue his Patroclus.  He saw this unequal combat from afar ―― for the blacks were nearly twice the size of the red ―― he drew near with rapid pace till be stood on his guard within half an inch of the combatants； then，watching his opportunity， he sprang upon the black warrior， and commenced his operations near the root of his right fore leg，leaving the foe to select among his own members； and so there were three united for life， as if a new kind of attraction had been invented which put all other locks and cements to shame.  I should not have wondered by this time to find that they had their respective musical bands stationed on some eminent chip， and playing their national airs the while， to excite the slow and cheer the dying combatants.  I was myself excited somewhat even as if they had been men.  The more you think of it， the less the difference.  And certainly there is not the fight recorded in Concord history， at least， if in the history of America， that will bear a moment's comparison with this， whether for the numbers engaged in it， or for the patriotism and heroism displayed.  For numbers and for carnage it was an Austerlitz or Dresden.  Concord Fight！  Two killed on the patriots' side， and Luther Blanchard wounded！  Why here every ant was a Buttrick ―― "Fire！ for God's sake fire！" ―― and thousands shared the fate of Davis and Hosmer.  There was not one hireling there.  I have no doubt that it was a principle they fought for， as much as our ancestors， and not to avoid a three-penny tax on their tea； and the results of this battle will be as important and memorable to those whom it concerns as those of the battle of Bunker Hill， at least.

　　I took up the chip on which the three I have particularly described were struggling， carried it into my house， and placed it under a tumbler on my window-sill， in order to see the issue. Holding a microscope to the first-mentioned red ant， I saw that，though he was assiduously gnawing at the near fore leg of his enemy，having severed his remaining feeler， his own breast was all torn away， exposing what vitals he had there to the jaws of the black warrior， whose breastplate was apparently too thick for him to pierce； and the dark carbuncles of the sufferer's eyes shone with ferocity such as war only could excite.  They struggled half an hour longer under the tumbler， and when I looked again the black soldier had severed the heads of his foes from their bodies， and the still living heads were hanging on either side of him like ghastly trophies at his saddle-bow， still apparently as firmly fastened as ever， and he was endeavoring with feeble struggles， being without feelers and with only the remnant of a leg， and I know not how many other wounds， to divest himself of them； which at length， after half an hour more， he accomplished.  I raised the glass， and he went off over the window-sill in that crippled state.  Whether he finally survived that combat， and spent the remainder of his days in some Hotel des Invalides， I do not know； but I thought that his industry would not be worth much thereafter.  I never learned which party was victorious， nor the cause of the war； but I felt for the rest of that day as if I had had my feelings excited and harrowed by witnessing the struggle， the ferocity and carnage， of a human battle before my door.

　　我還是目睹比較不平和的一些事件的見證人。有一天，當我走出去，到我那一堆木料，或者說，到那一堆樹根去的時候，我觀察到兩只大螞蟻，一只是紅的，另一只大得多，幾乎有半英寸長，是黑色的，正在惡斗。一交手，它們就誰也不肯放松，掙扎著，角斗著，在木片上不停止地打滾。再往遠處看，我更驚奇地發現，木片上到處有這樣的斗士，看來這不是決斗，而是一場戰爭，這兩個蟻民族之間的戰爭，紅螞蟻總跟黑螞蟻戰斗，時常還是兩個紅的對付一個黑的。在我放置木料的庭院中，滿坑滿谷都是這些邁密登。大地上已經滿布了黑的和紅的死者和將死者。這是我親眼目擊的唯一的一場戰爭，我曾經親臨前線的唯一的激戰猶酣的戰場；自相殘殺的戰爭啊，紅色的共和派在一邊，黑色的帝國派在另一邊。兩方面都奮身作殊死之戰，雖然我聽不到一些聲音，人類的戰爭還從沒有打得這樣堅決過。我看到在和麗陽光下，木片間的小山谷中，一雙戰士死死抱住不放開，現在是正午，它們準備酣戰到日落，或生命消逝為止。那小個兒的紅色英豪，像老虎鉗一樣地咬住它的仇敵的腦門不放。一面在戰場上翻滾，一面絲毫不放松地咬住了它的一根觸須的根，已經把另一根觸須咬掉了；那更強壯的黑螞蟻呢，卻把紅螞蟻從一邊到另一邊地甩來甩去，我走近一看，它已經把紅螞蟻的好些部分都啃去了，它們打得比惡狗還兇狠。雙方都一點也不愿撤退。顯然它們的戰爭的口號是“不戰勝，毋寧死”。同時，從這山谷的頂上出現了一只孤獨的紅螞蟻，它顯然是非常地激動，要不是已經打死了一個敵人，便是還沒有參加戰斗；大約是后面的理由，因為它還沒有損失一條腿；它的母親要它拿著盾牌回去，或者躺在盾牌上回去。也許它是阿基勒斯式的英雄，獨自在一旁光火著，現在來救它的普特洛克勒斯，或者替它復仇來了。它從遠處看見了這不平等的戰斗，――因為黑螞蟻大于紅螞蟻將近一倍，――它急忙奔上來，直到它離開那一對戰斗者只半英寸的距離，于是，它覷定了下手的機會，便撲向那黑色斗士，從它的前腿根上開始了它的軍事行動，根本不顧敵人反噬它自己身上的哪一部分；于是三個為了生命糾纏在一起了，好像發明了一種新的膠合力，使任何鐵鎖和水泥都比不上它們。這時，如果看到它們有各自的軍樂隊，排列在比較突出的木片上，吹奏著各自的國歌，以激勵那些落在后面的戰士，并鼓舞那些垂死的戰士，我也會毫不驚奇了。我自己也相當地激動，好像它們是人一樣。你越研究，越覺得它們和人類并沒有不同。至少在康科德的歷史中，暫且不說美國的歷史了，自然是沒有一場大戰可以跟這一場戰爭相比的，無論從戰斗人員的數量來說，還是從它們所表現的愛國主義與英雄主義來說。論人數與殘殺的程度，這是一場奧斯特利茨之戰，或一場德累斯頓之戰。康科德之戰算什么！愛國者死了兩個，而路德。布朗夏爾受了重傷！啊，這里的每一個螞蟻，都是一個波特利克，高呼著――“射擊，為了上帝的緣故，射擊！”――而成千生命都像臺維斯和霍斯曼爾的命運一樣。這里沒有一個雇傭兵。我不懷疑，它們是為了原則而戰爭的，正如我的祖先一樣，不是為了免去三便士的茶葉稅，至于這一場大戰的勝負，對于參戰的雙方，都是如此之重要，永遠不能忘記，至少像我們的邦克山之戰一樣。

　　我特別描寫的三個戰士在同一張木片上搏斗，我把這張木片拿進我的家里，放在我的窗檻上。罩在一個大杯子下面，以便考察結局。用了這顯微鏡，先來看那最初提起的紅螞蟻，我看到，雖然它猛咬敵人前腿的附近，又咬斷了它剩下的觸須，它自己的胸部卻完全給那個黑色戰士撕掉了，露出了內臟，而黑色戰士的胸鎧卻太厚，它沒法刺穿；這受難者的黑色眼珠發出了只有戰爭才能激發出來的兇狠光芒。它們在杯子下面又掙扎了半小時，等我再去看時，那黑色戰士已經使它的敵人的頭顱同它們的身體分了家，但是那兩個依然活著的頭顱，就掛在它的兩邊，好像掛在馬鞍邊上的兩個可怕的戰利品，依然咬住它不放。它正企圖作微弱的掙扎，因為它沒有了觸須，而且只存一條腿的殘余部分，還不知受了多少其他的傷，它掙扎著要甩掉它們；這一件事，又過了半個小時之后，總算成功了。我拿掉了玻璃杯，它就在這殘廢的狀態下，爬過了窗檻。經過了這場戰斗之后，它是否還能活著，是否把它的余生消磨在榮譽軍人院中，我卻不知道了；可是我想它以后是干不了什么了不起的活兒的了。我不知道后來究竟是哪方面戰勝的，也不知道這場大戰的原因；可是后來這一整天里我的感情就仿佛因為目擊了這一場戰爭而激動和痛苦，仿佛就在我的門口發生過一場人類的血淋淋的惡戰一樣。

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