The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-10-16

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a9Cicisf .i' 80 .'.f'.' 'N s.n.
4 FROM q. Baltimore Pstrist ,- r.-l
Extract from the Diary of q Country
II III i' " Doctor. san
i Years ago, after being up all night
with Mr.. Blank, wearied, worried, exhaust
ed rendered excitable and nervous by
extreme anxiety from the uncertain and
desperate nature of his case, ] was riding
quietly along, when my attention was
attracted by a huge spider rapidly cross
ling the dusty road. Every energy he
Possessed seemed to be cxerted; anxiety
and alarm appeared to be depicted, not
lin, his countenance, but in every motion;
extreme terror seemed to be the ruling
passion OF, the moment, shown by his oc-
casionally throwing his head back, rs If
Hooking to see some terrible enemy ap-
Iproaching, who would annihilate him;
his efforts for progression were tremen-
dons--the els tergo doubtless possessed
Overwhelming power. l stopped. In
labout FIVE minutes noticed a Freema-
son, a species of blue wasp, in active
pursuit; it would fly ten or twelve inch
es, then alight, smell the ground, and. so
pass along, evidently trailing the spider,
sometimes missing the trail, then return
ing or taking the back track, until it ar
rived to where the spider diverged from
the rectangular line. Never hound trailed
fox, or cat watched rat with the pertin-
acity this insect followed its prcy-all
was activity, decision and promptitudc-
no part Of the little insect rested quiet;
every member was in state of motion,
heads, wings, feet &c. .w.n. % ..'
The greatest detention was at the edge
Of the road, where the spider had fallen
into a deep rut, and continued in it for
about twelve feet. Here the Frccmason
appeared at fault; repeatedly it flew over
the rut, and for short distance continued
in straight line, but soon returned; for
five times was this repeated, rejecting
right and left from the bee line but with
out success the last time it returned it
rested one moment, apparently in rctlec-
ton; then suddenly dartcd to the bottom
Of the rut, and advanced rapidly on the
trail. 1t passed the place where the rut
was left by the spider, only a short dis
tancc, returned passed down the side Of
the rut opposite to that by which the
spider had left; Immediately flew to the
other side, soon fell in with the trail, and
energetically followed it, although the
pursued often moved in a ziz-zag line.
Within fifty yards Of the road the
victim was overtakcn; the spider seemed
paralyzcd; made not the least resistance,
but quietly turned on its back, and never
moved limb. Its pursucr pounced on
it with all the rapacity and venom that
ever cat seized its prey, or the anxious,
WORKOUT inebriatc clutches the intoxicat-
ing bowl. -
stood by unmovcd, not feeling in
clined to interfere; uncxcited by that
principle said to be inherent in the bosom
of man which urges him to extend his
controlling influence where the weak and
innocent are in the power of the strong
and treacherous, but felt rather gratifed
that this huge poisonous insect had met
a just and righteous doom. Thus, rs Sir
Walter eloqucntly says, was distracted
one atom Of life from the sum total of
spider existence.
This same day | had scarcely passed
mile on my road, after the above tragical
affair had ended, when met with one of
the most painful among many painful
scenes, have, in diversified life had to
encounter. My attention was attracted
overhead by the cry of cra-cra-cra; on
looking from whence the cry Of distress
came, | perceived a medium sized hawk,
with chicken in his talons apparently
as weighty as it could carry. The hawk
appeared overloaded and nearly exhaust
cd; with much effort it succeeded in
alighting in the crotch OF a gcchestnut
tree about eighty yards from the road l
was travelling. From the exhaustion of
its captor the chicken seemed thcstrong-
or Of the two, and ! have no doubt that
il it had been armed with defensive
weapons as effective as its antagonist,
that it would have escaped. But this not
being the case, the hawk, with a pertinac.
ity unconqucrablc, kept his talons buried
in the breast Of the fowl. For ten or
fifteen minutes the cxertions ofthe chick
en- were immense-ahcr this its power
appeared spent, and it seemed apparently
resigned to its fate. Now commenced
the most horrible part Of the tragedy
As the hawk tore the flesh the whole
body Of its victim quivcred, and the cry
of anguish reached my ears, pea--pca--I
pea. 1 became greatly excited, aliglted
from my horse, went to the foot OF the
tree, and by shouting, attempted TO ar
rest the horrible banquct-tllis was all
in vain. i then tried by throwing stones
to drive him from his bloody feast; but
they were unhcedcd; they did not reach
the monster, for he was too elevated
Unmindml Of all ! could do, he contin-
ued his cruel dissection; all this time
the plaintivc pca-pea-pca resounding
in my cars. Oh! how /. wished for a
gun, but none was obtainable. The case
was hopeless! In despair of rendering
aid, after many minutes of extreme ex-
crtion lquittcd the tree, Mortified mount
cd my horse and gave him the spur, but
still resounded in my casthe melancholy
cry-pea-pea-pea. SO strong at first,
but gradually weaker and weaker, as
limb was torn from limb, until finally it
ceased to cry only with the last throc Of
vitality. ! have never in a long life felt
SO miserable, depressed and unhappy
from so inconsiderable and common an
occurrence, and even to this time, when