The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1891-01-08
THE SPIDERS WARNING.


haggard inmate, gloom and damp.
A single window only, barely
foot square, heavily barred, and
six feet at least from the ground.
PROSTATE upon n wretched heap of
straw in IA corner, was the prisoner;
not asleep, bnt watching intently,
and watching what? One might
guess q 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 a large spid-
er's web spun in the corner.
A curious place for a 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 n Frank,
born and bred. He had simply talk
ed ofliberty, and equal rights to man,
within the dominion of che 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 rs 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 u 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 swoop upon his
quarry.
The spider, too, was constant
source OF consolation; and rom long
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
ly by watching the spiders move
ments and noting his own feelings
for he had observed that, when tn
spider kept securely housed, he, thu
Frenchman, was usually troubled
with bad headache.
And while Dis Jonval was anus
ing himself with these interestin!
observations, troublous time cam
TO Holland.
Pichegru with an Overwhelming
force advanced suddenly across tn
border. The stakeholder did not al
tempt to dispute the march of til
, Frenchman. He simply retired, an
when the French army was well i
= the center of the land, he adopte
against the invaders the old-tm
tactics that years before had battle
c Spanish Alva. and had cost
= French kings brother, the Duke {
S Anjou, splendid army The wor
was given. and the bikes were cut;
:. fat country, the greater pnrJ of
: below the level OF the sea, Pichegr
: found in Holland armies. III
Dutchland was all swamp; til
=, Frenchman could not advance
- could hardly retreat; the fate {
F Aniou and his gallant army SCENE
: in store for him. He had waite
until winter set i'll before he ha
n given the command for the forwar
n movement, for the willy Gaul ha
5 anticipated the tactics OF the Hollan
If commander But the weather ha
z suddenly shifted around, and a
> almost summer mildness reignc
over the land. And affairs were thu
Il on the morning when the prisoner
" Utrecht lay at full length upon h
pallet and watched for his friend tn
- spider.
/ The jailer brought the prisoner i
breakfast, a sorry repast enoug
s. for the prudent Dutchman knew TIL
there was nothing like simple iot
to reduce hot blood and curb inn
n tuous wills.
"You do not eat, mynheer," sa
G. the iailer, who leaned by the doc
swung his keys unsteady and waite
I ed the prisoner.
:. 81 have little appetite"
Is "That is bad" the jaierremarko
~ thoughtfully. "Mynheer should e;
n and so keep his strength"
y Dis Jonval made a wry face.
he "Bahl such food as this is enoui
at to take away the appetite of W
r man, let lone a sick man, the FrenC
i, man said.
tie "Thatis true, maynheer," the .ai
III replied, "the food is coarse, but "
n see that you have n better dim
er although l go against my INSTR
tions, and would suffer if the govel
III ment should find it out"
10 "The matter is between us two
80 Dis Jonval rejoined. 81 shall S
ht nothing, and l Judge you will L
ed care to speak of it,
il 81 feel more inclined to do you
AT, kindness, mynheer, because two da
or ago l thought it might be proba
his that we should change places, y
or become the jailer and l the prise
ler en-"
bic GLOW so?" asked the Frenchm
zen in astonishment.
llu The jailer then related to Dis J'
zen val what had transpired during
ny past week. He told of Pichegr
~" advance, how the French gene
80 had threatened the capture
era Utrecht, and had only been preve
Id. ed from taking the town by
nd. cutting of the dykes and the flo
lad inc of the country with water