, 1891-12-26

PIO A1SAU buAuh i Y IOACGOu1Os O0U VnNb . 0LA
a matter Of taste. It suits me because there
is plenty of elbow room. It's q tride dry,
| admit, and sometimes a man will get pretty
thirsty and think himselfi in big luck to and
a pool Of water that smells SO that he has to
hold his nose when he drinks it, but one can
get used to that. And then it isn't so lone
some after you get acquainted and know
where to look for ~neighbors.
"There's plenty of life on the deser-not
crowds of human life, rushing and tearing
about like crazy ants, and keeping up a din
day and night that is enough to drive the
whole world mad-but interesting, sensible,
natural life, full of comedy, tragedy and even
humor. If you feel lonesome you can find
company anywhere by turning up a rock or
looking under the sagebush. There's no
lack of ingenious, curious little creatures
whose ways are worth studying.
'"Take the t~arantula hawk, for example.
CHATS an insect built something Xix a
wasp, or, perhaps, more like a devils darn
ing needle and it flies about looking for
tarantulas just as a hawk scars about keeping
his eye peeled for gophers and such proven
der. When the hawk sees a tarantula he goes
for the big spider, swoops down upon him,
stings him and gets away like a fash.
1.-THE t~arantula knows that his only show
is to get under cover, and healegs it home
in frantic haste. It's fun to see the big,
hairy-legged bully duck his head and paddle
off through the sand as if the devil was after
him-and the devil is after him, sure enough.
If the tarantula is near his house he may es.
cape by getting to it, tumbllng IN head first
and shutting the door tight, but he's got to hus-
tie for it. because Little Jack the Giant Killer
is a hustler himself and keeps him away at
every Jump. If the hairy ogre gets caught
out a great way from his castle his name is
Dennis, and he knows it.
HE hops over upon his back to make a
fight, and if he could get hold of the hawk
in that position he would make short work
of the little chap, but the hawk sees the
trick, and just keeps sailing around and
watching for an opening, and when he catches
the spider off guard he darts in, hits him a
lick and gets away like a fash. Sometimes
the hawk will pretend to quit and fly away,
but the instant the tarantula is on his feet
and scooting for shelter, whizz, comes the
hawk like a bullet and socks it to him in the
back of the head. A few stings like that do
no the tarantula. He seems to become dizzy
from the poison, st 'ggers a few steps, and
c~ollapses in q hairy heap. His legs twitch
a few times. and that is the end of his
malevolent career.
give been calling the hawk he all along,
but it isn't that kind of a bird. The %tarantu-
la nemesis is the female hawk, SO far as l can
Judge, because after the spider is knocked
out the hawk proceeds to deposit eggs in the
remains, and, l suppose, the eggs are Matched
by the heat of decomposition. Possibly the
purpose of laying eggs in a defunct tarantula
is to provide the young hawks with grub at
the threshold of life, so to speak.
Whatever the scheme may be it is death
to tarantulas, and for that reason nobody
ever harms a tarantula hawk. The Insects
sting is said to be poisonous to men, but L
never knew one to sting aman.
Then there is the roadrunner, a joyous,
sociable little fellow, whose business In life
is Worrying rattlesnakes to death. The road
runner is a bird somewhat larger than a blue
Jay, with a saucy topknot and "a still saucier
tail about o foot in length. He runs as fast
as a horse ordinarily travels, and if he once
gets into the road ahead of a horseman, he
will race along for hours and can't be driven
out of the road. He could skip aside and get
out of the way if he wanted to, but he seems
to think that it is his mission in life to keep
lust ahead of that horse, and nothing can drive
him from that occupation.
HE is not in the least alarmed, and when
he gains too much of a lead he will stop aud
see-saw with his tail and chirrup merrily
until the horse nearly. catches up with him,
when away he goes again as if his life depend
ed on his winning the race. When he wearles
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