Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1891-02-21
THE SPIDERS WARNING.

A narrow prison cell, q wan ana
haggard inmate, gloom and damp.
A single window opIy, barely
a foot square, heavily barred, and |
six feet at least from the ground.
PROSTATE upon wretched heap of
straw in a corner, was the prisoner;
not asleep, but watching intently,
and watching what? One might
guess a dozen times and yet not hit
upon the truth.
And the prisoner; upon his side up
on his heap of straw, his chin resting
upon his hand, and his elbow fixed
upon the floor, watched large spid-
er's web spun in the corner.
A curious place for spider to rear
his airy castle-a corner of that
dark cell where the sunlight never
came and fine fat flies were few and
far between.
For no crime had the Frenchman
suffered, for Dis Jonval was Frank,
born and bred. He had simply talk
ed ofliberty, and equalrights to man,
within the dominion of the potent
stakeholder of Holland.
At first the Frenchman reioiced
that the martyrs fate was his, and
when he discovered the spider in the
corner of the dungeon he talked to
him of liberty and brotherhood.
But even the spider fled from the
sanguine republican. And as weeks
grew into months Dis Jonval grew
weary of his confinement and pinned
for the free air of heaven. The stadt-
holder was iron; tears and prayers
moved him not jot. Then, too,
} the "tricolor" menaced Holland, and
the French general, Pichegru, with a
large force, was lowering on the
frontier, like some huge bird of prey
preparing for a swoop upon his
quarry.
, The spider, too, was constant
source OF consolation; and iromlong
observations of the habits of his
black friend, the Frenchman became
quite wise. The spider never appear
ed during bad weather, and Dis JON
val was able to predict frost at least
, a week previous to its coming, simp-
~ by watching the spiders move.
ments and noting his own feelings,
for he had observed that, when the
spider kept securely housed, he, the
Frenchman, was usually troubled
with bad headache.
T,-.l
Q ing himself with these interesting
observations, troublous time came
. to Holland.
Pichegru with an Overwhelming
s force advanced suddenly across the
IS border. The stakeholder did not at
q tempt to dispute the march of th'
I Frenchman. He simply retired. anC
!, when the French army was well il
l. the center of the land, he adopted
Y against the invaders the old-tim'
n tactics that years before had batfieC
# Spanish Alva. and had cost 1
:, French kings brother, the Duke o
Anjou, a splendid army. The wore
l. was given, and the bikes were cut; |
fat country, the greater part of i
IS below the level of the sea, Pichegrl
re found in Holland armies. TIL
Dutchland was all a swamp; tht
It Frenchman could not advance
e. could hardly retreat; the fate c
Aniou and his gallant army SCENE,
. in store Tor him. He had waite
II, until winter set in before he ha
he yiven the command for the forwar
id movement, for the willy Gaul ha
Ill anticipated the tactics OF the Hollan
ell commander. But the weather ha
suddenly shifted around, and n
)" almost summer mildness reigne
nn over the land. And affairs were thu
on the morning when the prisoner {
Die Utrecht lay at full length upon hi
er pallet and watched for his friend tn,
alf spider.
nlf The iailer brought the prisoner h
or, breakfast, sorry repast enough
ior the prudent Dutchman knew tina
pie there was nothing like simple ioo
zee to reduce hot blood and curb imp
m tuous wills.
nd "You do not eat, mynheer," sai
IN the taller, who leaned by the doc
ri swung his keys unsteady and waite
I'd the prisoner,
81 have little appetite"
"That is bad, the jailer remarke
thoughtfully. "Mynheer should en-
En-. and so keep his strength. /"
mo- Dis Jonval made a wry face.
"Bahl such food as this is enous
~ to take away the appetite of a w
ST. nan, let lone sick man, the Frenc
ing man snid,
,to "Thatis true, maynheer, (" the jail
~ replied "the food is coarse, but W
W zee that you have better dinn'
NV although | go against my instrl
!; it ions, and would suffer if the Cover
ms nent should find it out.
we "The matter is between us two
ngs Dis Jonval reioined. Il shall $
yer nothing, and | judge you will II
Ter are TO speak of it,
to 81 feel more inclined to do you
tell Sindness, mynheer, because two da
let. lgo thought il might be proba'
4 u. Il. =.