Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-20
A Camp is Invaded by a Swarm of
Tarantulas, Which Plays Great.
Havoc.
The Guide is Stung to Death and a
Explorer Has Narrow
Escape.

/ to investigate the ancient ruins which
cover this country, with a view of obtain
ing, if possible, some clew to the period to
which they belong, | got the clew
sought for from some hieroglyphics among
the Conquestador coins, which, according
to my theory, are about 5000 years old,
but, of course, absolute proof is not avail
able. | had as guide most intelligent
half-breed Manuel Besero, and he inform
ed me that, according to the traditions of
his Indian progenitors, there were some
ruins of still greater antiquity some 100
miles to the northward, near the Rio Seca
Indeed, he said that this dry bed was once
the bed of river that had been turned
from its course by the inhabitants of these
same ruins. Thinking that might DOS
sibly find some confederation for my theo-
ry among these earlier relics of the lost
race, | started to find them, accompanied
by my faithful guide. 1t was very hard
travelling through the jungIes, and we
made hardly fifteen miles day The diff
fculties were multiplied by the enormous
number of snakes and poisonous insects
that infest this section. We lost one of
our pack mules through bite or sting
of some sort on the third day.
On the afternoon of the fourth day we
camped In a little opening clear except for
grass. This we soon burned off.
We had just finished supper, and I was
sitting at the base Of tree smoking nv
pipe, when an enormous tarantula came
out of the grass into the cleared circle.
He WIS positively the largest specimen [
have ever seen, and as the slanting rays of
the sun Caught him | noticed a curious.
dull, indefinite, reddish line down his
back. | regretted that | had not the
means to preseve it, but Manuel settled my
regrets by crushing it with a billet of
wood. 1t had hardly ceased moving when
another equally large one appeared at the
other end of the burned patch. | did not
fear them much, as wore heavy leather
leggins, reaching to my hips.
1--WE have made a bad camp, Manuel, ;"
| said; there seems to be many tarantu-
las.
lone place is about as good as an
other, he answered in Spanish; ''they US
ually go by twos."
He appeared more troubled, however,
than his careless answer seemed to indicate
and while killed the second unwelcome
grass with a long branch, He uncovered
,
when he turned around there were half a
dozen more of them in the clear space
They fastened on the dead ones and seemed
to suck their blood
I'VE must get out of this screamed the
Indian
At this moment the remaining mule be-
gan to struggle and kick. He soon broke
hrs picket rope and disappeared. Then |
lo.. ~
grass. More tarantulas came out.
Il have heard of it from the Indians
cried my guide. cit is a devils army
They say that the people who lived in the
dead cities were killed by them, and that
no one Can live there now. They come by
thousands like red ants, and leave nothing
alive where they pass. | thought it was
squaw story. We must fight them with
fire.
He seized a flaming brand from the
campfire and yelled to me to do likewise.
He tried to fire the grass on all sides of
US, but where the trees grew it was too
rank and wet, and the fires we started
would not burn.
Meanwhile the spiteful spiders became
more and more numerous. | crushed one
at least every step took; many of them
bit at my leggins and hung there by their
tangs. We turned out fire. brands to
crushing the trantulas, but they seemed to
come thicker than we could drive them off,
Il am Bitten heard the Indian
scream. passed him my flask. | could
do nothing more for him, and dropping
my stick started to run. Every step in
the grass seemed to bring me into worse
7 +rioI Ii,-,o+,o,, l,,+
seemed everywhere. | noticed that they
were in the bushes and on the grass, so
high that my leggings would not protect
me, and presently found myself back at
the camp. There at least they could not
ground was perfectly black with them
and the great insects were all over him.
mind was nearly gone with terror and the
pain of the bites.
| could hardly keep the tarantulas from
getting above my ieggings. Sudden it
occurred to me that might find safety in
one of the trees. | knew that | would
soon be exhausted if remained among
the black beasts, and that would end it.
In moment had my arms about a small
tree; crushed the insects that chung to
my legs against The bark as dragged and
scrambled up. A dozen feet from the
ground here was a branch from which
had hung some small game which had
shot. pulled myself up on to this branch
and got the first moment S rest had since
the tarantulas first appeared. | had mad
no time to think before this, but now |
began to realize what had happened 1t
SEEMED more like nightmare than any
thing real. looked down and almost fell
off my branch at the horrid sight below
me. My Indian was now fairly on the
ground. could tot see him for the poison
Gus things that covered him. but the IT.
regular black mass wiggIed and squirtned
ike wonderful snake, and knew he
was not yet out OF his agony. On every
side were more rarantulds hunerily search
ing tor more victims. Their crushed fell
lows were almost torn to pieces, SO fierce
were they In Their hunger. They were all
enormous; some of them were Us big as
turf les. and when the sun struck them
could see the red line that distinguished
hem from the non gregdrariOus species
that are familiar in other places. They
crawled over one another in their desire to
find something into which to sink their
fang Poor Manue's writhing body was
the Objective point of most OF them. They
fought hrrceIy tor d spot Of flesh where
ihPy cnnid strike, and every movement of
The still tvIng man seemed to make them
set more fierce.
T.. i 4 H. n