The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-10-15

per was dancing on his body after thirty
seconds OF hot work. They brought up
another and another, and the champion
just ate EN- mp IN no time AFTER IL was
all over and nobody would bet any more
the champion spider owner toid we
gang that ne had braced his bug up with
a. little whisky 10 make him nght better.
He was nearly lynched Tor wasting even
a. drop OF whisky on bug. But those ret
lows put up the most terrific night you
ever saw. It's so ferOciOus that It's ND
I'm rot wishful to leht wit amy av
en-" remarked Mulvaney, but what
fally to do when they won't lave MN
smash 'em II you're quick enoush''
said Corky.
That's an right with scorpion" put
I'm the dude FOR they'll PUN. But a tar
antula's ike "a rattlesnake. II you make
a pass 40 him and miss he's right back
al luu iu 30 second.
HOW TO KILL HIM
That's right, too, agreed Corky. Il
mighty good thing TO do IS 10 drop a
blanket oyer the spider and then trainple
on tho blanket"
This signal Corps bug that Ramrod
spoke about H. no funny Joke, said tne
Dude zone of en- climbed the classic
features of Soapy Smith while ne was
taking a nap under tree one afternoon
and balanced on his nose. making dec
llrti0n OF war i'm the wgwag code lie
looked just as II he was saying his pray
rre THE name OF the thing Is planning
mantis. I believe: but fl was Soapy that
ought TO have been doing the praying.
He brushed sleepiIy mr. the mantls 10 get
~ of AVID ~ soaked him one right on the
ton of the nose. Well. I'm five minutes
Soapy's nose looked like one OF these big
purple California plums and for the rest
OF he day he wandered around like era
zv man guZing cross-eyed at his nose
and saying just as il II was continued
surprise % him:
Look at that nosei Oh just look ~
that nose Think Of me having nose
like that and never "A drink OF whisky
this threr good weeks"
1T was q good week too. before tho
nose got back 10 its right color"
You should have done what that 300
pound shorty they call Thin Ike did for
his pal" said COrky. THE man woke up
10 find a scorpion squatting on his bare
leg and waving its tail around He never
made a move, for he knew II he did the
sting would be into him. a scorpion
stings quicker than a man can move. SO
he just said very quietly 70 Thin Ike:
Get out your gun, Ike. and shoot
that thing OFF my leg
" IT'S pretty close shooting says Ike,
but I'm do II n YOU say So"
" Go ahead: u take the chance saws
the other fellow. for Ike IS the crack shot
'' CLOSE SHOT
$50 Ike drew "a bead and shot the scor-
pion clean OF the leg and the bullet went
SO close 60 the flesh that 1t left a black
mark across
I'm give him a Job KILN land crabs"
said Mulyaney. "Thems the brides that
give me the shiverariums. Az the'd only
90 frOrtWays Ike a Christian basic II
Wudn be- so bad. but just We think yer
out av the way they start up at-what
q ye call it?-at right angles with them
selves an chase yez our Az the place.
But they're harmless, the Dude said.
Harmless they may be. ! do know,
replied Mulvaney but rs sure | am that
they're harmless when I've put several
quick steps bechune me an them an
that's the way J ike them best
II never told YOU fellows about my Gu
ban feast. did T." remarked Charley
Horse. Scouting around The back coun-
try one day with an infantryman Of the
regulars that / fell In with. We came
upon a gang Of Cubans by a little stream
cooking something IN a pot that smeled
mighty good Well. a couple of them
recognized as fellows that had been
housing rdtlOns Of Us. so / hadn't any
hesitation IN indicating that we were
hungry and would like some OF the mix
ture In tho pot. They didn't see the
point In fact a couple or them got out
their machetes. but my infantry friend
and I had our guns UP, and he made an
Grafton chiefly composed OF the only kind
% English that those fellows understand.
Then we helped ourselves 10 the stew.
and IL was great. Just as we'd nnished
another cuban came in with a land crab
in each hand and popped them into the
stew"
"W-ha,," cried the others in chorus.
you'd been eating land crabs?"
why. man" added Ramrod. aghast.
''you were on the field al San Guasimas
after the fighting. You know what they
feed on. Eghi'
These weren't those pale green and
yellow ones said Charley. They were
little black chaps. and they looked clean.
I've found out since that they are con-
sidered excellent food all through Cuba.
though the Cubans won't touch the crabs
that we've had experiences with. Just
the same was mighty thankful that Ia
got a stomach fun before l knew what
that stew was made Of"
We'll boys said the Dude. with tar
artulas end scorpions and signal bugs
and land crabs and al the rest Of them
for solid. Fostering misery there's moth
inr IN cuba 10 equal those Florida mos
quitoes that came down on us and did
the whole camp out OF three nights sleep.
They were the worst or the whole lot.
And the others agreed with him.
sXeltoxy Fever" Patient.