Okay, maybe it could be blamed on watching too many Tom and Jerry cartoons growing up, but while staring into the literal jaws of death, I had the most ridiculous idea. Ridiculous but possible, and to my panicked brain, that was enough. What if I could keep knocking sand down from the edge and bury the doodlebug, all without actually falling in myself? Sure, I had never seen an ant accomplish this, but with my human smarts, perhaps I could figure out a way.
Turning away from the pit’s center, I began to dig with forelegs and mandibles while bracing with my back legs. Slowly, the sand began to tumble down around me, forcing me to run to remain stationary. To my amazement, the plan seemed to be working! The doodlebug thrashed about, snapping its jaws as sand poured over it until it sank out of sight. If I still had vocal cords, I would have shouted in triumph.
That silent celebration cut short, though, when a rumble vibrated the ground. A geyser of sand spewed upward from the middle of the pit, raining down on my exoskeleton like hailstones. No sooner did it stop when another burst erupted. Over and over, waves of sand came down on me, destroying what little stability I had maintained up till now and bringing me ever closer to the center. Then, in horror, I watched the doodlebug’s head reemerge, rearing its head to send more sand my way. The thing was using my own sand against me!
I flailed madly, knowing my options had run out. I was dead meat, nothing more than a meal for a bug half the size of a pea. In a fit of madness, I spun around and faced the predator, my mandibles ready. If I was going to die, I could at least give my killer a fight, as one-sided as that fight might be against the doodlebug’s huge serrated tusks.
Suddenly, something clamped down on my rear leg and yanked me backwards. I barely registered what was happening even when I slid up out of the pit and landed in a heap outside the danger zone. The doodlebug hissed in frustration, throwing more sand in my direction, but the maneuver had become futile. I was safe. But who saved me?