The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-07
DUEL BErREEv SrrDnRs.
A sharp Fight with Seconds and Plenty o.
Spider Spectators.

said a New Yorker. and generation after
generation OF spiders have spun their webs and
Matched and bred their young In it's hooks and
corners. Spiders of many kinds. with as many
different architectural plans for their Rossamer
dwelling places make their homes on the
casing and sashes and panes OF tho Rrimy
windows and festooD them from the dusty
beams and r1fters. There are spiders with
big oval bodies anu legs an inch loue.
There are spiders scarcely bigger than mustard
seed. busy as bees. dartinR up and down and
here and there on invisible supports. like meats
dancing In q sunbeam. There are spiders with
bodies rs round rs a cherry, and almost as big.
Brown spiders. black spiders. gray spiders
festoon with their webs that unused corner Of
the old storehouse. and wax fat on the flies and
bugs that seek the dangerous seclusion OF that
dusty and musty nook.
THE panes Of one particular window In this
unused apartment are the small squares OF the
old days. One OF the big oval bodied. grayish-
brown spiders had his web spread over the en-
tire surface OF one pane Of glass and over all
but one small corner Of another. In that cor
ner q plump black spider. not more than one
quarter the size Of the other. had his modest
but effective trap. One day the big spider
seemed to have made up his mind that he
needed more room for his web. and he coolly
began preparations to extend it over to
the corner occupied by his unostenta-
tious and contented neighbor. He ran
out a cable that passed across one
euee OF the black spiders web and
the next one. This cable was quickly followed
by the stretching Of a second one. and a third
one was strung before the little black spider
woke to what was going on. Then he came
gliding out OF his quiet corner and gave the big
SPIDERS audacious work a quick inspection.
That having evidently satisfied him as to what
the intention Of the trespassor was, he nippod
the three cables asunder. one after the other.
and "T left t them nn' dnnG Iin o use A. e in, in the 1,,i air. n,..,.
.,,do uaH sp,uer ran OUT whie 'he niue black
spider was thus boldly undoinG his work. and
ment. TIL little snider. having renewed the
cables from hs nr spnIe na. temoNeu .ne
watch for flies. The big fellow recovered from rom
his surprise and Immediately threw another
cable across the little ones web. Out came the
owner Of the premises with a rush and snapped
that cable in two. Four times after tina the big
spider strung a cable there. and each time the
~ senH " IL uomh' rheh the pis one starteo
10 hasten a htth cable. The black spider. furi-
inc on his domain tbror hinsaIs or.aaInnno
the bis intrudon M" : ar"hets upTh
fne Dig l1 tha There was g lively struggle
the pig spider broke away and retreated to his
yen IN the extreme upper left-hand corner Of
Ill At ease.
me hot-headed little spider fumed about in
fury was at Is height another sPiiderofa grayisR
nue. ana Tith a long. ugly-looking head and q
fbread G }pdm C nsnU gliding ndnns t down P,o on a sSiangle
corner. This spider, Joined the raging
S 9IHcS pTP Ss. t and by ana 3y the latter cooled
conndential confab. a WHILE, and then the
spider with the long; fierce head darted
out upon the. big brown spiders web
and tolloWed 1t, to the den at the upper
Sor9er; Ihere ne fingered some time. as
ter that had caused the commotion,
PRESENTLY the agile gray spider darted away
t ana b 9isoG6e To@d to sni 2 web ro on the h6a pane above
spider, hung ,listlessly. wrapped up in his long.
hairy legs, When the gray entered the hairy
and met his visitor cordially. short but ear
nest interview ensued and then the hairy spider
ters,, snd, the gray With the he long SnS p head hurled Gqari
back to the little black spiders corner.
"Incredible as it may seem. the sequel proved
doubt arrangeda duel between the little black
and the big brown, the gray being the second
spider. who seemed to have plenty OF leisure
on his hands. to act as next best friend to the
Not long after the gray spider had returned
70 the blacks corner the two glided out. reached
centre of it and stopped. The Srown and M the III
hairy spider soon ,aiterward came from the
formers den and advanced toward the centre of
the web. stopping within an inch or SO Of the
others. Other members Of the spider colony
going on. for spiders of ali sizes. shapes and
colors. came gliding to the scene to be specta-
counter. The hairy spider and the gray one
retreated some distance from their principals.
Then the two combatants rushed together
"They struggled a moment. separated,
rushed togetheragaip. and tumbled and tpgged
and broke here and there into ragged holes.
Al the time the two attendant spiders lowered
ing the lighters as to the best advan It !, ooS The
spectator spiders showed no iiittis excitement
Of the sash around the pane as the fi,ght I prSo
crossed, When the battle was at its iercest
one round-bodied black spidCr Of the same
species as the smaller contestant, probably
fearing, for the, outcome OF the fight, made
a rush from the line of spectators into the field
he reached the spot. however he vas cola rad al
by both the hairy spider and the long eReaded
gray one and hustled back into The crowd co