Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-10-10
A HORRIBLE STORY
of Scientist Who was Surrounded by
Deadly Taraufulaa

. L T0DtlStO
at request of the Munich Society for
prehistoric research, of which | am a
member, to investigate the ancient
ruins which cover this country, with a
view OF obtaining, if possible, some
clue to the period TO which they be-
long. l got the clue | sought for from
some hieroglyphics among the Con-
queStadOr ruins. which, according to
my theory, are about eight thousand
years old, but, of course, absolute proof
Is not available. | had as a guide a
most intelligent half breed. Manual
BcSerO, and he informed me that,
according to the traditions of
his Indian progenitors, there were
some ruins of still greater antiquity
some 10 miles to the northward. near
the Rio Seba. Indeed, he said that
this dry basin was once the bed of a
river that had been turned from its
course by the inhabitants of these same
ruins. Thinking that | might possibly
find some confederation for my theory
among these earlier relies OF the lost
race, | started TO find them, accom-
panied by my faithful guide. 1t was
very hard travelling among the junglcS,
aud sc made hardly fifteen miles day.
The difficulties were multiplied by the
enormous number of snakes and poison
Gus insects that infect this section. We
lost one of our pack mules through 4
bite or a sting of some sort on the third
day.
On the afternoon Of the fourth day
we campcd in little opening, clear eX-
cept for grass. This was soon burned
or 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 l had ever seen, and
as the Slanting rays of the sun caught
him noticed Il curious, dull, indefinite,
reddish line down his back. regretted
that had not the means TO preserve ii,
but Manuel settled my regretting by
crushing il with a billet of wood. 1t
/ had hardly ceased moving when another
and equally large one appeared at the
other end of the burning patch. did
not fear them much, as ! wore heavy
/ leather leggings reaching to my hips.
I'VE have made a bad camp, Manuel,
/ said; there seems TO be many taran-
tulaS."
.One place is about as another" he
answered in Spanish; they usually 90
by twoS"
lie appeared more troubled. however,
than his careless answer seemed 20 in
dictate. aud while killed the second un-
welcome visitor he began to poke
around i'm the grass with long branch.
I lie uncovered more OF the great spiders
and killed them. When he turned
around there were fully half dozen
of them On the clear space. They fas-
tened on the dead ones and seemed TO
suck their blood.
We must get out of this, screamed
! the Indian.
Al this moment our remaining mule
began 20 struggle and kick. He soon
broke his picket rope and disappeared.
Then became aware of steady rust
ling IN the grass. More tarantulaS came
out.
Il have heard of it from the Indians
cried my guide. 1T is devils army.
They say that the people who lived in
the 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
/ 10 was Squaw story. We must night
them with fire
lie seized flaming brand from the
camp fire and yelled To me TO do ike
wise. lie tried TO fire the grass on
'aU sides of us. but where the trees
grew it was too rank and wet. and the
fires we started would not 20.
Meanwhile the Spiteful spiders became
more and more numerous. | crushed
one at least of them every step took.
Many of them bit at my leggingS and
hung their by their fangS. We turned
our frebrandS TO crushing the tarantu-
las. but they seemed 10 come thicker
than we could drive them of.
81 am bitten" l heard the Indian
scream. / passed my flask. / could do
nothing more for him, and dropping my
stick started % run. Every step IN
the grass seemed % bring me into worse
quarters. / tried every direction. but
. they seemed everywhere. l noticed
hat they were I'm the bushes and on the
grass. So high that my legginS would
not protect me, and presently found
myself back 40 the camp. There at
least the could not reach me without
climbing up. The ground was perfectly
black with them. Poor Manuel was
down on his knees and the great insects
were all over him. lie seemed crazy.
'and have no doubt his mind was near
. lbs gone with terror and the pain of the
bites.
/ could hardly keep the tarautulas
from'gcttiug above my leggingS. Sud
. denly 10 occurred 10 me that | might
find safety In one of the trees. ] knew
that would soon bee exhausted if re-
, manned among the black beasts, and
that would end ID. In moment ! had
, my arms about a small tree. | crushed
! the insects that chung TO my legs
/ against the bark Is | dragged and
! scrambled up. \ dozen feet from the
! ground there was branch from which
, we had hung some small game had
shot. pulled myself up on this branch
, and got the first moments rest since
the tarautulas first appeared. / had
, mo time TO think before this, but
, now 1 began TO realize what had hap
Ipcned. IL seemed more like night
. mare than anything real. looked
- down and almost fell OF my branch
e. Tat the horrd sight below me-
, Nv Indian was now fairly on the
D ground. | could not see hin
, for the poisonous things that covered
e. him. but the irregular black mass wrig
, elcd and squirmed like wounded
e. snake, and knew be was not yet out OF
D his agony. On every side were more
r tarantulas hungrily searching for mort
victims. Their crushed fellows were
q almost torn TO pieces, so fierce were
- they I'm their hunger. They were al
{ enormous. some of them were as big as
, turtles. and when the sun struck then
; could see the red line that diStin'
$ guished them from the non-gregariou'
species that are familiar Ia other places
, They crawlcd over one another IN then
desire 90 find something into which %
sink their fangs. Poor Manuels with,
, inc body was the objective point oil
. most of them. They fought herce..y
r for % spot Of flesh where they could
strike. and every movement OF the sun
. living man seemed to make them YET
more fierce.
10 did not take me as long 90 notice
. an fhiSn~ DO does tO describe it ana
b soon saw that was not yet safe from
horrible fate that had overtaken my
guide The insects began Co crawl up
The tree. though not Ca any considerable
. numbers 40 first. brushed them down
with small branch. and those that