Punch protector surge

What are these ants doing, and why? - extend ants trial

An hour ago I was outside the porch of my grandparents on the ground. Standing on the ledge, I saw a line of more than ants on the march. I have many of these lines at a time to see, although this was particularly active, especially thick. When I draw the line at the end, my wife said something interesting.

In the middle of the line of ants had a place balls around the line and then runs through the 2 sides of the same. My first thought was the food, but I thought wrong. The ball was clearly a very large ant, about 4 or more times the length of the other ants. He was living, moving, and other ants, seemed almost to be pushed. I suspect never an ant queen in person, but from photos that there is a queen. But I had no idea that queens never traveled outside the colony.

I followed the long line of ants at both ends. At one end was a colony, and the other end ... is another colony. Moving? Or was it a struggle and the queen was a prisoner? I know that some species of ants from slavery, but I thought wITH workers. What were they? Some ants, but few have led the objects in their mouth, but always in the direction of the nest, the nest was the queen.

I am far from an expert on ants. Most of what I know what I choose here and there. I am very curious to see what happens here.

Thank you for all the information and God bless you!