The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-09-30


and stools against the wall. lie then went 10
a cnnboard and took forth broken lumber
ord q large.pecked bottle, from which lie
nnnred White, oily liquid that had pecu
liar ocr,d odor He gave the woman a tum
bler. and she drank about wlne-glass iuil ol
the contents, then, standing in the mldaie OF
tho room. seemed to brace herself lor INC
coming ordeal. crossing her arms ana LOOK
inp with distended eyes and quivering nos
,rils at the bottle on the shelf. The man wa'
calm as n stone. HIS first movement was tt
take a guitar from the wall and tune II. lhel
| he drew greasy pair OF leather gloves OF
mltens from some part OF the cupboard ahu
lcisurely put them on. Having done 'his u.
proceeded leisurely toward the shelf anu looE
the bottle in his hands, took OIL the cover anu
slightly tilted the vessel. One OF the taIah'u
las quickly ran toward the opening, ana
A PERCEPTIBLE SILVER
ran through the frame OF the woman as tht
venomous insect was captured IN Inc loius %
the leather glove and the cover pushed back
to its place with a rapid movement of the
other hand. 1t was quick WORK now. The
woman turned away her head and held oul
her arm. The man strobe quickly toward
her, placed the insect upon the pain.scarred
flesh, and there was loud scream, as OF
woman In pain.
THE TARAN1ULA HAD DONE ITS WORK
and almost as quick as thought the man had
recaptured It, placed it in the bottle again,
taken off the leather gloves and had seated
himself upon low stove, with the guitar up
On his knees.
All ewes were now fixed earnestly upon the
woman. After the first shri.l scream of pain,
her whole body seemed to collar Sc, and she
sank lifeess ana inert upon the hoor, her
ewes stared vacantly, there were a lew conVui
sive throbs, and to all appearance she was dead
The man commenced TO strum on the guitar,
and pulled vigorously at a clay pipe when
he had lighted just as the woman fell. WIN
the first notes of the music the inert mass up
on the floor seemed to pulsate, the rigid limbs
slowly relaxed. The eyes assumed an unnalu.
raj ulster, AMI suddenly the woman sprang
to her feet and glared around
LIKE A WILD ANIMAL
She looked like fury possessed, and lowered
over the man like some avenging Nemesis.
She threw her arms wildly in the air, and
suddenly bringing them down again, dragged
the comb from her hair, and the black waves
came rippling down over her back and shoul.
ders, and were twjned around in wild and un.
studied confusion.
The man carefully watched every motion,
and now the music assumed more distinct
cadence, and he beat time TO 1t with his foot.
The measured time seemed to attract the wo.
mans attention, and her body swayed to and
fro in unison with it,
THE MUSIC GREW FASTER AND LOUDER,
and faster and more vigorous became The &C
tons of the woman. Those who have seen
pretty women in pink tights and bright silk
dresses dance the tarantella upon the stage
can know nothing Of the almost terrible ef-
lects of lerantism, AS the scientists call TIL
effects produced upon the nervous febrile by
the bite of the tarantula. This woman, this
wretched slave of mans cupidity, danced as
Il would seem impossible for human being
To dance She seemed to be pursued by the
demon of dance, if such thing there be. Her
body swayed in wildly undulating motions
She sprang fran side to side; she executed
all the steps and pirouetes with which pro-
Fessional dancers have charmed the world,
and hundreds OF others that they have never
dreamed Of She seemed to work herself
INTO
PERFECT FRENZY.
She dug her nails into her arms TO the linen
lerchief from her neck, and rent open her
bodice at the throat A dancing dervish
ID TO her panther.like activity. And yet all
he time she kept in perfect unison with the
music of the triangular guitar, which was
)layed so that It followed all her varying
moods and passions, now raising in loud, stri. /
lent tones, and again sinking to low undu-
atng movement A change had now come
,ver the man, for he followed every motion
If the woman with glisening eyes, as II he
himself had become imbued with poison
rhc pipe dropped from his mouth In the ex-
element, and he thrummed the guitar uncon-
,cious, evidently Of the presence OF strangers. |
For a half hour the woman kept up her
WILD DANCE FOR LIFE,
nd then, without any sign or warning,
again sank limp and powerless TO the floor.
lhe man threw his guitar aside, leaped from |
he stove upon which lie haI been seated,
ezed glass of water, and rushing to the wo-
mans side, dashed its contents into her face.
Then he recovered all his sioicism, slapped
Ter hands, and, carefully lifting her up, laid
Ter upon the low pale! that served as bed. |
She soon gave signs OF returning conscious
hess, drew long BREATH opened her eyes,
,azed earnestly around, quickly fastened the
bodice that she had unloosened during the
lance, and then sank back to sleep,
The man explained that the exercise had
entirely removed all the dangerous effects Of
he bite of the tarantula, and that, after Il
short sleep she would awaken as well as ever,
fully prepared for the evenings exhibition,
aud ready to take her share of the profits that
would accrue. 1t appears TO be an everyday
business with him, for, before the party had
gotten fairly out of the room, he was seated
at the table dcvourlng his fried onions with a
very palpabe good appetite and an evidently
clear conscious.
Wolves In Russia.
From the London Times