Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1892-02-11
a pET SPIDER.


Hottie Of Ink.
We named him Helshazxar on the occa'
sion OF his first visit 70 rs, though ]
have forgotten what suggested the
name. lie was big black spider with
shiny, fat body, suggestive Of an
abundance OF flies, but for all this np'
probation Of the good things Of life he
was Of scholarly turn OF mind. We
were all seated around the study table,
preparing the next days lessons and
tasks, when Minnie gave a scream that
made me jump, and even the boys
looked up startled There was a big
black spider calmly seated on o latin
dictionary regarding us intently' !
tapped paper az him, but he only
drew in his legs with a slightly con-
temptuous air and did not stir
let him alone, sister" said Tom,
I've been studying about spiders, and
here is good opportunity for observ-
ing their habits"
AS il encouraged by this champion
ship Belshazzar descended from the die
tionary and crawied slowly oyer the
open page OF an algebra, as If try ing TO
make out what it was. From this he
went over all the books, inspecting
them all with the same critical air, and
at last settled on physical geography
as most worthy OF his attention, Every
now and then he would refresh himself
with drink out of Aleck's ink bottle.
All at once we missed him, and as he
had last been seen drinking from the
edge OF the bottle suspicion Immediately
arose that he had fallen in. lie had
and was fouudering helplessly about in
the black pool He was rescued and
placed in scrap of waste paper with
injnnctions to remain there until dry,
but this he had no intention OF doing.
On the contrary he showed fixed de-
termination to walk over Toms neatly
written Latin exercise. "You shan't,
sir" said Tom, gently hoisting him with
the feathered end OF quill pen ON to
his scrap of paper.
And then, for the next few minutes,
we forgot all about him, till Toms cry
Of dismay called attention to his exer-
else. 1t was lined and refined and lined
again with Belshazzar's tracks lie had
not left an inch unmarked, and was
sven looking very complacent over his
nice black tracings when our exclama-
tions OF sorrow and anger seemed to
arouse him to sense of shame, and he
scrambled down the table and was gone
in the twinkling OF an eye.
We thought we had seen the last Of
q .
and again, until we looked for him as
regular visitor and placed the physical
open for him, for his fancy
for ii seemed to last The accident of
his fall into the ink bottle was repeated
several times, for he would drink the ink,
and once for several minutes we feared
hat he was drowned but he gradually
-evived, and beyond appearing rather
subdued was little the worse for the
adventure But whenever he had been
n the ink after that first night nothing
,ould induce him to stir off the paper
IN which he was placed TO dry, though
lie would run over that and seemed TO
AXE pride in the designs with which he
'rnamented it.
What became of our queer pet we
never knew, but one night he failed to
make his appearance, and we were sur
,rised TO find now much we missed |
lin. We hoped, however that he
would come the next evening, but he |
lever did, and somehow the study hour |
Ifter that seemed longer and dulIer /
md not to be looked forward to. Phil /
.delphia Times.