Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-10-10
The DEVILS Army.


have Just returned from an eXpe-
dition into the interior of Yucatan and
Campeche, during which | met with
an adventure very awful and unusual.
In the latter part of May last | came
to Central America. from San Francis
co at the quest Of the Munich Society
for Prehistoric Research, Of which l
ain a member, to investigate the an
cient ruins which cover this country,
with view of obtaining, if possible,
some clue to the period to which they
belong. / got the clue | sought for
from some hieroglyphics among the
Conquestador ruins, which, according
to my theory, are about 5000 years
old, but, of course, absolute proof is
not available / had as guide most
intelligent half breed, Manuel Besero,
and he informed Iue that. according to
the traditions of his Indian progeni-
tors, there were some ruins OF still
greater antiquity 40 miles to the
northward, near the Rio Seca. Indeed,
he said that this dry basin was once
the bed Of a river that had been
turned from its course by the inhabi-
tants Of these same ruins. Thinking
that | might possibly find some cor
roboration for my theory among these
earlier relics of the lost race, | started
to find them, accompanied by my
faithful guide. 1t was very hard trav-
cling through the jungles and we
made hardly fifteen miles a day. The
difficulties were multiplied by the
enormous number of snakes and poi
sonous 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 little opening, clear
except for the grass This was soon
burned off.
We had just finished supper, and |
was sitting at the base of a tree smok
ing my pipe when an enormous taran-
tula came out OF the grass into the
cleared circle. He was positively the
largest specimen | had ever seen, and
as the slanting rays Of the sun caught
him | noticed a curious, dull, indefi-
mite reddish line down his back | re-
gretted that | had not the means to
preserve it, but Manuel settled my re-
grets by crushing it with billet of
wood 1t had hardly ceased moving
when another and equally large one
appeared at the other end of the
burned patch. did not fear them
much, as | wore heavy leather leg
gings reaching to my hips.
We have made a bad camp, Man
uel, | said, there seem to be many
tarantulas.n
"One place is about rs another" he
answered in Spanish, they usually
go by twos."
He appeared more troubled, howev-
er, than his careless answer seemed TO
indicate, and while | killed the second
unwelcome visitor he began to poke
around in the grass with long
branch. He uncovered more of the
great spiders and killed them; when
he turned around there were fully
half dozen Of them in the clear space.
They fastened on to the dead ones and
seemed to suck their blood.
I'VE must get out of this" shouted
the Indian
At this moment our remaining mule
began to struggle and kick. He soon
broke his picket rope and disappeared.
Then | became aware of a steady rust
ling in the grass. More tarantulas
came out.
Il have heard of it from the In
dians," cried my guide. 1T is dew
lis army. They say that the people
who lived in the dead cities were killed
by them, and that no one can live
there They come by thousands, like
red ants, and leave nothing alive
where they pass. l thought it was
squaw story. We must fight them
with fire.
He seized flaming brand from the
campfire, and yelled TO NE 10 do like
wise. 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 60.
Meanwhile the spiteful spiders be-
came more and more numerous. l
crushed at least one Of them every
step took. Many of them bit at my
leggings, and hung there by their
fangs. We turned our fire-brands TO
crushing the tarantulas, but they
seemed to come thicker than we could
drive them off.
Il ain bitten" | heard the Indian
scream. l passed him my flask l
could do nothing more for him, and,
dropping my stick, l started TO run.
Every step in the grass seemed to
bring ME into worse quarters. l tried