The Portland daily press., 1898-10-29
WORSE THAN BATTLE.
All the Boys Agreed Cuba's Bugs We're
lnsufferabIe.

How Nimb1e TarantuIa, Scorpion and
Signal Bug United to Destroy the
Nerves of Our Fighters-Views of
MuIvancy and Ranrod Jones.
They were all talking about the war, as
brave soldiers will, and one and all agreed
that the bugs OF Cuba, including land
crabs, scorpions and tarantulas, were the
hardest nuts to crack m the whole cam
paign.
''They don't tackle blooded stock like
me-" said Ralnrod Jones, "but l tell you
what does, and that's tho tarantula. I'm
positively convinced that if 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"
fanny of 'em spike yez?"
"Only three Two ON the feg and one on
the arm. It's bad enough, but it ism t as
bad as most people think. The worst bite
I got didn't lay me up for more than two
DAYS. What object to mostly is the feel
ing of having one of the hairy beasts on
you"
"Out on the firin line said Mulvaney,
EVAN day. mind it was July 2, fer
that was the day got two meals to keep
I'D with the date-sorra the luck that they
didn' kape along on that principle-well,
as was sayin when somebody interrupted
me- which think it was myself, that day
we was shootin pretty lively when a E
Troop man began lettin off with six
shooter he'd picked up somewheres right
into the mound in front Of the trench.
Along came an officer swearin blue blazes.
What are yez doin there, ye foolf' he
says do yez want to shoot peepholes fer
to see the Spaniards throughs'
"'I got him, lieutenant says the E
troop man; L got him. He had his eye
en- to me an was comm my way in series
of ferooious leps, he says, but I nailed
him on the last shot, an turn me blue
av he didn't point out big tarrantaler
kickin his last wit bullet troo his mid
dle.''
lone Of 'em nearly gave me pneu.
monis," observed the dude.
Dragged the blankets off you, sup
pose, to line his nest with" said Ramrod
sardonioally.
GIVE seen 'em big enough for that"
retorted the dude, "but this one didn't.
He Just roasted on the inside of the tent
over my COT
"Waitin fer to drop down on yer slum-
BERN form, !" put in Mulvaney. ssSuch 10
their outragis habuts.''
"Didn't get the chance this time. It
was one Of those blazing white moonlight
nights when the light Sits right through
the tent. My bunkie happened to wake
up and saw black blotch crawling up
the canvas. he didn't say word, but
just reached down for bis gun, got 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. 1 was too sleepy
to do more than curse once at the noise,
but made up for the lack afterward, for
In an hour there came up a rainstorm,
with the storm center coming down in a
Niagara through that hole. I didn't do
thing but get up in the morning with
hospital lung that never has quite straight
ened out"
odd you ever see one Of those big light
brown tarantulas jump" Queried Charley
Horse.
81 never seen wan that oud Jump as fan
rs me av I seen him first" remarked Null
vaney.
"You must be in line for champion
ship, then," said Charley. "I've seen a
big buck spider that threw boot at aft
ar I'd got out Of my tent take q nip at the
boot and then leap the whole length Of the
tent and land three feet up on the canvas
snd stiok there, with his eyes blazing"
"I'd like to see tho chap that would stay
in his tent when one of 'em had taken up
his abode there" said the dude. 81 know
I always got out and danced on the green
eward as soon as heard q tarantula rat
tftng around In my tinware. Funny how
they always take to your tinware and then
como around and crawl into your blankets,
Isn't its'
EFF the scorpion had the same habit Of
himself he'd be easier to get