At this moment, some of those who were retreating came up and reported that just behind them was a great giant at the head of a band of Black fighters, heading straight for their town. Immediately, they gathered themselves together and, hiding all along the path, sent some black slaves toward Tom. They knew these slaves could not fight, but would start to run away from Tom and thus draw him on. Already, before him, appeared the town and he was almost on the square in front of it, when the Red fighters came out of their ambush and threw themselves on the rose-bug. He stopped. Tom struck around him into the red bodies which squirmed under his blows; but the clever fighters, protected by the bodies of their fallen comrades, attacked him by biting his feet with their powerful jaws, until he slipped and fell to the ground. Before he could get up, they rendered him unconscious and ordered the slaves to drag him victoriously into the town. There they took away everything that he had, bit his clothes to pieces and left him unconscious in a dark dungeon. [Illustration] CHAPTER TEN. LITTLE TOM IN CAPTIVITY AND FREEDOM. THE DEFEAT OF THE REDHEADS. MIRMEX TRIES TO FIND LITTLE TOM. LITTLE TOM IN PRISON. THE BANQUET OF THE REDHEADS. LITTLE TOM BECOMES AN ARCHITECT. HIS WALKS TO THE BROOK. SEVEN SPOT DISCOVERS THE WHEREABOUTS OF LITTLE TOM. LITTLE TOM SAVED BY THE WOOD-BUG. LITTLE TOM AND CHRYSOMELA. THE PREPARATIONS FOR THE WINTER-SLEEP. LITTLE TOM AND CHRYSOMELA SET OUT ON THEIR WAY TO THE ABODES OF MEN. * * * * * The Red fighters returned to their nest in disorder and were very angry. They had lost the battle. The Blacks, after chasing them away, stopped the pursuit and returned to their homes. Mirmex hurried along among the first to learn how things were going in the town. When he approached, the guards hurried out to meet him with great joy and told him how Tom had defeated the treacherous attack of the Reds and how the town was untouched. Mirmex at once looked for Tom to thank him and was surprised that he did not come to greet him. When he learned that Tom had gone in pursuit of the fleeing enemy, he was greatly troubled. He knew Tom's brave heart and also the cool, treacherous Redheads and he feared for the worst. The town quickly resumed its normal life. Workers cleared the square and removed the dead bodies, while the nurses carried the chrysalises back to the upper stories; everything moved along in the regular channels, only Mirmex ran impatiently out to the paths looking and waiting for Tom's return. But he did not return. Towards evening, the tired warriors who had accompanied him, returned and told of his brave fight and his capture. They related how he was overpowered and pulled away before they could run to his rescue.