The times., 1898-09-18

molog1cal bureau of the Government but
the following from the Montauk reporter
Of the New York Sun gives a clearer idea
of the pests of that island:
Taking it all in ALL" said Charley
Horse, putting his feet with a graceful
and easy motion on the soap box which
served as table, escretoire. chiffonier
washstand, and general furniture in
Corky Steve's tent, what do you fellows
think was the toughest proposition Of
the whole war?''
The convention of Rough Riders which
had met informally to hold a rejoicing
over mustering-out prospects scratched
its collective head.
"The Great Hunger said Ramrod
Jones.
''Oh, that of course" said the other
Leave that out"
1.-The cussed hot transforms" suggest
ed Tim the Dude. absentmindedly pulling
at the towel which served him for a neck
cloth
"Havin' tn snoopin' Cubeens stool
themselves thot full on yer rashins while
We was fightin' fer 'em that they cudn't
aven yell 'Coober Leeber'!'' said Mulva-
ney, with an oath.
my votes for the bone-break fever"
observed Corky Steve. II believe you
could take me apart and put me together
again like one of those section puzzles
well, when / hang nay discharge pa
pers on the wall and cuss at 'em, as I'm
going to every night before l go to
Sleep" said Charley Horse, I'm going
-fp LyS q
bugs"
rs a land crab a boog?" asked Null
vaney.
Land crabs are included" said the
other.
"And vultures," put in Tim the Dude;
"I insist on vultures."
mo; nothing but things that crawl.
Scorpions and tarantulas and the crabs
and those fan-tailed little devils with
red-hot stings that stand UP on their
hind legs and wigwag at YOU.
Signal Corps bugs, we called 'em,
said Ramrod Jones, but l heard one of
the colored troopers say they were mule
killers
Charley Horse is alive get" observed
the Dude Must be you kept out of their
way, Horsey."
..They don't tackle blooded stock like
me-" was the reply; but tell you what
does. and that's the tarantula. I'm posi-
lively convinced that If l went to sleep
in a spot with the nearest tarantula five
miles away, before morning that cussed
spider would be trying to make nest in
my ear
ANY of 'em spike yez?''
"Only three. Two on the leg and one
cr the arm. It's bad enough, but it isn't
as bad as most people think. The worst
bite got didn't lay me up for more than
two days. What 1 object to mostly is
the feeling of having one of the hairy
beasts on YOU"
.'Out on the firm line" said Mulvaney,
wan day-I mind it was July 2, fer that
was the day l got two meals to keep up
with the date; sorra the luck that they
didn't kape along on that principle-well
as | was sayin' when somebody inter-
rupted me, which l think it was myself,
that day we was shootin pretty lively,
when a E troop man began lettin' off with
a six-shooter he'd picked UP sonewheres
right into the mound in front of the
trench. Along came an officer swearin
blue blaZes.
What are yez doin' there, We fool?' he
says. DO yez want to shoot peepholes
fer to see the Spaniards through
II got him. lieutenant says the e
troop man; L got him. He had his eye
onto me an was comm my way in Sc
ries of ferocious leps,' he says, but I
nailed him on the last shot and turn me
blue av he didn't point out a big tarran-
taller kickin' his last wit a bullet troo his
middle
zone of 'em nearly gaze me pneu-
monia," observed the Dude.
Dragged the blankets off you l sup
IL n
sardonically.
I've seen 'ern big enough for that" re-
torted the Dude, but this one didn't. He
just roasted on the inside o. the tent over
my cot
"Waitin fer to drop down on slum-
BERN FORM put in Mulvaney. 3Ich is
their outragis habuts.''
Didn't get the chance this 1t
was one of those blazing white n .ght
nights when the light Sits right uugh
the tent My bunkie happened wake
up and saw black biotcn craN up
the canvas He didn't say D VIC bat
just reached down for his gun ,ut a
good, long sight and sent that tarantula
flying through the tent on a free trip
to the planet Mars, which was pretty
prevalent over Cuba about then. l was
too Sleepy to do more tnaT curse once at
the noise, but / made up for the lack af-
terward, for in an hour there came up a
rainstorm with the storm center coming
down in a Niagara through that hole l
didn't do thing but get up in the morn
ing with hospital lung that never has
quite Strengthened out''
Did you ever see one of those big,
ight-brown tarantulas jump" queried
Charley Horse.
II never seen wan that cud jump as
far as me av l seen him first" remarked
Mulvaney.
You must be in line for a champion
ship them remarked Charley I've
seen big buck spider that 1 threw
boot at after I'd got out &C my tent take
nip at the boot and then leap the
whole length of the tent and land three
feet up on the canvas and stick there,
with his eyes blazing"
You used to fly the coop. then?" OBJ
served Corky. WELL I'm glad to hear
that. I've always been afraid to admit
that I'd let a spider turn me out of house
and home, for fear of the fellows giving
me the laugh, but never could stand the
companionable habits of the reptiles
They always want to nestle"
I'D like to see the chap that would stay
in his tent when one of 'em had taken up
his abode there said the Dude. "I know
1 always got out and danced on the
greensward as soon as heard a tarantula
rattling around in my tinware. Funny
how they always take to your tinware
and then come around and crawl into
your blankets, isn't it?"
IF the scorpion had the same habit of